MATHEMATICS 100, Section 103

Midterm #1, October 3, 2007

x2 − 4 (x − 2)(x + 2) x+2 4
1. a) lim 2
= lim = lim = .
x→2 x − x − 2 x→2 (x + 1)(x − 2) x→2 x + 1 3
√ √
p  ( x2 + 4x − x)( x2 + 4x + x
b) lim x2 + 4x − x = lim √
x→∞ x→∞ x2 + 4x + x

x2 + 4x − x2 4
= lim √ = lim p = 2.
x→∞ 2
x + 4x + x x→∞ 1 + 4/x + 1

|x − 3| x−3
c) lim = lim = 1.
x→3+ |x| − 3 x→3 x − 3
+

d) Let f (x) = x2 − cos x, then f is continuous for all x. We have f (0) = 0 − 1 =

−1 < 0 and f (π) = π 2 + 1 > 0. By the Intermediate Value Theorem, there is an
x ∈ (0, π) such that f (x) = 0. This x solves the equation x2 = cos x.

e) Since 1 is a root of x2 − 3x + 2 = 0, the limit can only exist if the numerator is 0

at x = 1, i.e. 12 + 1 + a + a + 4 = 0, 2a + 6 = 0, a = −3. For this value of a, we
have

x2 + x + ax + a + 4 x2 − 2x + 1 (x − 1)2
lim = lim = lim
x→1 x2 − 3x + 2 x→1 x2 − 3x + 2 x→1 (x − 1)(x − 2)

x−1
= lim = 0.
x→1 x − 2

f) We have f (x) = e2x + ex , hence f 0 (x) = 2e2x + ex .

 −1/2
0 1 sin x cos x(x + cos(2x)) − sin x(1 − 2 sin(2x))
g) f (x) = · .
2 x + cos(2x) (x + cos(2x))2
p
h) If g(x) = x2 f (x) then

p 1 √ 1
g 0 (x) = 2x f (x) + x2 · p · f 0 (x), g 0 (2) = 4 4 + 4 · √ · 3 = 8 + 3 = 11.
2 f (x) 2 4
2. Let y(t) = t2 − 3t + 6. The average velocity between t = 1 and t = 3 is

y(3) − y(1) (9 − 9 + 6) − (1 − 3 + 6) 6−4

= = = 1m/sec.
3−1 2 2

We have y 0 (t) = 2t − 3, hence the instantaneous velocity at t = 2 is y 0 (2) = 4 − 3 =

1m/sec.

3. We have

lim g(x) = lim (x2 + ax + b) = 1 + a + b, lim g(x) = lim x3 = 1.

x→1− x→1− x→1+ x→1+

For g(x) to be continuous at 1, the two limits need to be equal, i.e. 1 + a + b = 1,

a + b = 0. For g(x) to be differentiable at 1, it should be continuous at 1 and, in
addition,

d 2 d 3
(x + ax + b)|x=1 = x |x=1 , 2x + a|x=1 = 3x2 |x=1 , 2 + a = 3,
dx dx

hence a = 1 and b = −1, where we also used the condition a + b = 0 for continuity.

4. Let (a, b) be the tangency point, then the slope of the curve at (a, b) is 7, i.e. y 0 (a) =
3a2 − 5 = 7, 3a2 = 12, a2 = 4, a = ±2.
If a = 2, then b = 7 · 2 − 1 = 13, and we can find m from

23 − 5 · 2 + m = 13, 8 − 10 + m = 13, m = 15.

If a = −2, then b = 7 · (−2) − 1 = −15, and we can find m from

(−2)3 − 5 · (−2) + m = 13, −8 + 10 + m = −15, m = −17.

√ √
d √ x+h−3− x−3
5. x − 3 = lim
dx h→0 h
√ √ √ √
( x + h − 3 − x − 3)( x + h − 3 + x − 3)
= lim √ √
h→0 h( x + h − 3 + x − 3)

x+h−3−x+3 1 1
= lim √ √ = lim √ √ = √ .
h→0 h( x + h − 3 + x − 3) h→0 x + h − 3 + x − 3 2 x−3