Week 2 2.1, 2.

2 Limits, Rates of Change, Tangent Line Fall 2017

Average velocity of an object over a given interval of time is the change in the position
divided by the change in time.

∆s s (t 2 ) − s (t1 )
v ave = =
∆t t 2 − t1

Instantaneous velocity of an object at a given time t1, is the limiting value of the average
velocity, when t2 approaches t1.

Q: Can we calculate the instantaneous velocity directly? How?

A: Yes we can! By using the concept of limit.

NOTE: Tangent is the line “touches” the curve at one point. It’s the limit of the secant
line as Q approaching P.

For a function f defined for all x near a except at a, if f ( x ) is arbitrarily

close to L for all x sufficiently close (but not equal) to a, then the limit of
f ( x ) as x approaches a equals L

lim f ( x ) = L (two-sided limit)

x→a

1
Example 1 Use the graph of h to find
a. h(2)

b. lim h( x )
x→2

c. h(4)

d. lim h( x )
x→4

e. lim h( x )
x →5

One-sided limits

1. Left-sided limit: The limit of f ( x ) , as x approaches a from the left, equals L

means that as x gets arbitrarily close to the value a AND x < a , the value of f ( x )
gets close to the value L.
lim− f ( x ) = L
x→ a

2. Right-sided limit: The limit of f ( x ) , as x approaches a from the right, equals L

means that as x gets arbitrarily close to the value a AND x > a , the value of f ( x )
gets close to the value L.
lim+ f ( x ) = L
x→ a

lim f ( x ) = L if and only if lim− f ( x ) = L and lim+ f ( x ) = L

x→a x→ a x→ a

2
Example 2 For the function h with the following graph, state the value of each
quantity, if it exists.

(a) (g)
(b) (h)
(c) (i)
(d) (j)
(e) (k)
(f) (l)

Infinite Limits

Case 1:

As x approaches a, the value of f ( x ) gets

arbitrarily large

lim f ( x ) = ∞
x→a

Case 2:

As x approaches a, the value of f ( x ) gets

arbitrarily large but f ( x ) < 0

lim f ( x ) = −∞
x→a

NOTES:
1. In both cases, the limit does not exist.
2. In both cases, x = a is the vertical asymptote.

3
Example 3 Determine lim+ ln x .
x→0

lim ln x =
x→0 +

Example 4 Determine
x−5 x−5 x −5
a. lim+ a. lim− a. lim
x → 4 ( x − 4 )2 x→ 4 (x − 4) 2 x→4 ( x − 4 )2

Vertical asymptote :

Example 5 Sketch the graph of a function with lim f ( x ) = 1 , lim− f ( x ) = 0 ,

x →1 x→ 4

lim f ( x ) = 3 .
x →5+

HW 2.2 # 51-55