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Math 135 Business Calculus Spring 2009Exam 1 Solutions
1.
(20 points) The graph of a function
f 
is shown.(a) Determine the value of each of the following limits, if itexists. If it does not exist, explain why not.(i) lim
x
→−
2
f 
(
x
)As
x
approaches
−
2 from either side, the func-tion values get closer and closer to 2, solim
x
→−
2
f 
(
x
) = 2
.
(ii) lim
x
→−
1
f 
(
x
)As
x
approaches
−
1 from the left, the functionvalues get unboundedly large, so the left-hand limitislim
x
→−
1
−
f 
(
x
) =
∞
.
As
x
approaches
−
1 from the right, the functionvalues get unboundedly large negative, so the right-hand limit islim
x
→−
1
+
f 
(
x
) =
−∞
.
It follows that the two-sided limit lim
x
→−
1
f 
(
x
) doesnot exist.
 –5 –4 –3 –2 –1 1 2 3 4 5
 x
 –5 –4 –3 –2 –112345
 y
(iii) lim
x
→
2
−
f 
(
x
) and lim
x
→
2
+
f 
(
x
)As
x
approaches 2 from the left, the function values approach 2, so the left-hand limit islim
x
→
2
−
f 
(
x
) = 2
.
As
x
approaches 2 from the right, the function values approach 3, so the right-hand limit islim
x
→
2
+
f 
(
x
) = 3
.
(iv) lim
x
→
2
f 
(
x
)Since the one-sided limits lim
x
→
2
−
f 
(
x
) and lim
x
→
2
+
f 
(
x
) are not equal, then the two-sided limitlim
x
→
2
f 
(
x
) does not exist.(b) Determine whether or not the function is continuous at each of the following numbers. If it iscontinuous, explain why it is using the definition. If is not continuous, explain why it is not using thedefinition.(i)
a
=
−
2For
a
=
−
2, the function value is
f 
(
−
2) = 1 while the limit as
x
approaches
−
2 islim
x
→−
2
f 
(
x
) = 1. Sincelim
x
→−
2
f 
(
x
)
6
=
f 
(
−
2)
,
then
f 
is not continuous at
−
2.(ii)
a
= 2Since the limit lim
x
→
2
f 
(
x
) does not exist, then
f 
is not continuous at 2.
 
page 2 Math 150A Exam 1 Solutions
2.
(10 points) Find each limit, if it exists, and indicate how your are computing the limit. If a limit does notexist, state why not.(a) lim
x
→
1
(2
x
3
−
x
2
+ 7
x
)Since the function 2
x
3
−
x
2
+ 7
x
is a polynonial, then the limit can be computed by evaluatingthe function at
x
= 1, solim
x
→
1
(2
x
3
−
x
2
+ 7
x
) = 2(1)
3
−
(1)
2
+ 7(1) = 8
.
Alternatively, using the Limit Properties, we havelim
x
→
1
(2
x
3
−
x
2
+ 7
x
) = lim
x
→
1
(2
x
3
)
−
lim
x
→
1
x
2
+ lim
x
→
1
7
x
= 2
≥
lim
x
→
1
x
¥
3
−
≥
lim
x
→
1
x
¥
2
+ 7 lim
x
→
1
x
= 2(1)
3
−
(1
2
) + 7(1) = 8(b) lim
x
→−
7
x
2
+ 2
x
−
35
x
+ 7Since the limit of the denominator is 0, we cannot apply the Limit Properties. Instead, we cansimplify the function algebraically first:lim
x
→−
7
x
2
+ 2
x
−
35
x
+ 7= lim
x
→−
7
(
x
+ 7)(
x
−
5)
x
+ 7= lim
x
→−
7
(
x
−
5)Now, since
x
−
5 is a polynomial, we can evaluate the limit by direct substitution:lim
x
→−
7
x
2
+ 2
x
−
35
x
+ 7= lim
x
→−
7
(
x
−
5) =
−
7
−
5 =
−
12
.
3.
(8 points) Based on data from Major League Baseball, the average price of a ticket to a major leaguebaseball game can be approximated by
 p
(
x
) = 0
.
03
x
2
+ 0
.
56
x
+ 8
.
63
,
where
x
is the number of years after 1991 and
p
(
x
) is in dollars.(a) Find
p
(14)
−
 p
(4) and interpret this result.To evaluate
p
(4) and
p
(14), substitute
t
= 4 and
t
= 14 into the function:
 p
(4) = 0
.
03(4
2
) + 0
.
56(4) + 8
.
63 = 11
.
35
 p
(14) = 0
.
03(14
2
) + 0
.
56(14)+ 8
.
63 = 22
.
35
 p
(4) is the average price of a ticket to a baseball game at
t
= 4, in 1995, and
p
(14) is the averageprice of a ticket at
t
= 14, in 2005. Then
p
(14)
−
 p
(4) is the increase in the average price of a ticketform 1995 to 2005.(b) Find
p
(14)
−
 p
(4)14
−
4and interpret this result.
 p
(14)
−
 p
(4)14
−
4=22
.
35
−
11
.
3514
−
4=1110= 1
.
10This is the average rate of change per year in the average price of a ticket to a baseball game from1995 to 2005. It tells us that the ticket price increased by $1.10 per year, on average, over this timeinterval.
 
Math 150A Exam 1 Solutions page 3
4.
(12 points) Given the function
f 
(
x
) = 5
x
2
−
2
x
+ 1, find
f 
0
(
x
) using the definition of the derivative.
f 
0
(
x
) = lim
h
→
0
f 
(
x
+
h
)
−
f 
(
x
)
h
= lim
h
→
0
[5(
x
+
h
)
2
−
2(
x
+
h
) + 1)]
−
[5
x
2
−
2
x
+ 1]
h
= lim
h
→
0
[5(
x
2
+ 2
xh
+
h
2
)
−
2
x
−
2
h
+ 1]
−
5
x
2
+ 2
x
−
1
h
= lim
h
→
0
10
xh
+ 5
h
2
−
2
hh
= lim
h
→
0
h
(10
x
+ 5
h
−
2)
h
= lim
h
→
0
(10
x
+ 5
h
−
2) = lim
h
→
0
10
x
+ lim
h
→
0
5
h
−
lim
h
→
0
2= 10
x
+ 0
−
2 = 10
x
−
2
5.
(10 points) Find the equation of the tangent line to the graph of 
f 
(
x
) = 3
x
−
x
2
at
x
= 1. The graph of 
f 
(
x
) = 3
x
−
x
2
is shown in the figure. Graph this tangent line.First, find the derivative
f 
0
(
x
):
f 
0
(
x
) =
ddx
(3
x
−
x
2
) = 3
−
2
x
The slope of the tangent line to the graph at
x
= 1 is thederivative at
x
= 1. So
m
tangent
=
f 
0
(1) = 3
−
2(1) = 1
.
When
x
= 1, then
y
=
f 
(1) = 3(1
2
)
−
1 = 2. So the tangentline passes through the point (1
,
2). Then, substituting intothe point-slope formula for a line, the equation of the tangentline is
y
−
y
0
=
m
(
x
−
x
0
)
y
−
2 = 1(
x
−
1)
y
=
x
+ 1
 –2 –11 2 3 4
 x
 –2 –11234
 
 y
of 00

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