Math 180 Worksheets

W3

Keywords: continuity, graphing, intermediate value theorem, limit definition of the deriva-
tive, secant lines

3 Module 2 Content Sheet Part 1

2.6 Continuity
3.1 Introducing the Derivative
3.2 Working with Derivatives

� Watch the Panopto Video on Introduction to Continuous Functions

2.6 Continuity In words, a function f is continuous at a number a if the graph can be

sketched without lifting a pencil at and near the point a.
Question 1 Sketch two graphs, one that is continuous everywhere, another that is not con-
tinuous at a point.

Definition: A function f is continuous at a number a if lim f (x) = f (a).

x!a

Compare the definition with your two graphs above, does the continuous function satisfy
lim f (x) = f (a) for all a? and what condition does your example of a non continuous
x!a
function not satisfy?

Most familiar functions are continuous on their domain. Every polynomial function is
continuous, as are the sine, cosine, and exponential functions. The restriction for rational
functions, tangent, secant, logarithms are that they are only continuous on their domain.

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2
For example: f (x) = is a rational function that is continuous at all points x 6= 3.
x 3
At x = 3 the function is undefined undefined, and thus cannot be continuous.

Question 2 The graph of the function f is drawn below. At which points is f not continu-
ous?

x2 1
Question 3 Let f (x) = . Does lim f (x) exist? Is f continuous at x = 1?
2x + 2 x! 1

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Check your answers: Q2 Not continuous at x = 5, 2, 3, and 5.

Q3 lim f (x) = 1, but since f is undefined at x = 1, the function is not continuous
x! 1
at x = 1.

Question 4 A function f is defined by

8
>
> sin x if x<0
<
1 if x=0
f (x) =
>
> x2 if 0 < x < 2⇡
:
2 + cos x if x 2⇡

Do the following limits exist? Is f continuous at

(a) limx!0 f (x) (a) x = 0?

(b) limx!2⇡ f (x) (b) x = 2⇡?

We call one of these points a removable discontinuity, and the other a jump discontinuity.
Which one is which? Explain what removable means in this context.

� Watch the Panopto Video on the Intermediate Value Theorem

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Check your answers to Q4: Removable discontinuity at x = 0 since the limit at x = 0

does exist but is not equal to f (0). Jump discontinuity at x = 2⇡, the left and right limit
are di↵erent at x = 2⇡, the graph has a jump.

Question 5 A continuous function y = f (x) is known to be negative at x = 0 and positive at

x = 1. Why does the equation f (x) = 0 have at least one solution between x = 0 and x = 1?
Illustrate with a sketch. Why is being continuous an important property? (Intermediate
Value Theorem)

Theorem 3 (Intermediate Value Theorem) Suppose f is continuous on the interval [a, b]

and L is a number strictly between f (a) and f (b). Then there is a number c in (a, b)
such that f (c) = L. In other words, continuous functions cannot skip values.

Question 6 The polynomial p(x) = x2 +x 1 has a zero in the interval (0, 1). True? False?
Apply the Intermediate Value Theorem. What is L? the interval (a, b)? c?

� Watch the Panopto Video on Introduction to Derivatives

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3.1 Introducing the Derivative

We saw that we can represent average rate of change as a slope of a secant line, and that
instantaneous rate of change can be represented as a limit of slopes of secant lines. We will
define derivatives using the idea finding instantaneous rates of change.

Question 7 (a) Fill in he blanks: Let (a, ) and (a + h, ) be points on the graph
of a function y = f (x).

(b) Find the slope of the secant line through the points in part (a). This slope is called the
di↵erence quotient and represents the average rate of change between x = a and x = a + h.

(c) How can we use part (b), to write a formula for the instantaneous change at x = a?

(d) Going back to an example we saw earlier. Dragon D Sparky’s distance between him
and the eel is given by the function f (t) = 2t2 + 10 measured in feet, and time in seconds.
Find Sparky’s instantaneous velocity in ft/s at t = 2 seconds assuming the eel is not moving.

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Check your answers to Q7.

(a) (a, f (a)) and (a + h, f (a + h).
(b) f (x+h)h f (x) is the slope of a secant line and represents the average rate of change,
whereas (c) f 0 (x) = limh!0 f (x+h)h f (x) is the slope of a tangent line and represents the
instantaneous rate of change.
(d) The answer is 8ft/sec.
f (x + h) f (x) y dy
Definition f 0 (x) = lim = lim = provided the limit does exist.
h!0 h h!0 x dx
f 0 (x) is called the derivative of f at x. A function is called di↵erentiable if the derivative
f’(x) exists at a point.

Question 8 Find the equation of the line tangent to the graph of y = f (t) at t = 4, given
that f (4) = 9, and f 0 (4) = 5.

Question 9 At which points is f not di↵erentiable?

Check at x = ⇡, x = 4 and x = 5.

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Check your answers: Q8 y 9 = 5(x 4), Q9 The function is not di↵erentiable at

x = ⇡ -¿ there is a jump and the limit of the di↵erence quotient yields an infinite slope as
x approaches ⇡ from the left. Not di↵erentiable at x = 4, try to draw a tangent line here,
the di↵erence quotient has no limit because there are two possible slopes from the left and
right. Not di↵erentiable at x = 5 because the slope is infinite.

Question 10 The number f (t) of locations of a popular co↵eehouse chain is given in the
table. Estimate f 0 (2001) by finding the average rate of growth from 2000 to 2002.

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

f(t) 1886 2135 3501 4709 5886

Question 11 Put the following slopes in order from smallest to largest.

f (b) f (a)
f 0 (a), f 0 (b), and
b a

3.2 Working with Derivatives

Question 12 Hands On Activity - use the chart on the next page to follow the step by step
use of the limit definition to find f 0 (x) for f (x) = 3x2 x.
f (x + h) f (x) y dy
Use the definition: f 0 (x) = lim = lim = provided the limit does
h!0 h h!0 x dx
exist.

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Calculus I Definition of Derivative

2. f (x) = 3x2 x. Find f 0 (x) by circling the correct next step from each row. In the third column, explain
why this is the correct step and what caused the error in the incorrect step.

f (x + h) f (x) f (x + h) f (x)
Step 1. lim lim answer
h 0 h h 2 h

3(x + h)2 x + h + (3x2 x) 3(x + h)2 x h (3x2 x)

Step 2. lim lim answer
h 0 h h 0 h

3(x2 + 2xh + h2 ) x h (3x2 x) 3(x2 + h2 ) x h (3x2 x)

Step 3. lim lim answer
h 0 h h 0 h

3x2 + 2xh + h2 x h (3x2 x) 3x2 + 6xh + 3h2 x h (3x2 x)

Step 4. lim lim answer
h 0 h h 0 h

6xh + 3h2 h 3h2 + 6xh h 2x

Step 5. lim lim answer
h 0 h h 0 h

3h2 + 6xh h h(3h + 6x 1)

Step 6. lim answer
h h 0 h

lim 3h + 6x 1 lim 3h + 6h 1
Step 7. h 0 h 0 answer

6x 6x 1
Step 8. answer

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Active Calculus BOALA by Boulder-Omaha Active Learning Alliance is licensed under a Creative Commons
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for details.

f (b) f (a)
2
Check your answers: Q 10 f 0 (2001) ⇡ 1192.5 co↵ee locations per year. Q11 f 0 (a) < < f 0 (b).
b a
Q12 Do you see a pattern in your choices?

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