National Tsing Hua University

Calculus I Practice Midterm Exam 1

(Longer than the actual exam)
October 2019

These are questions to help you see the scope of the first midterm exam. The format of
the midterm will be as follows:

• About 33% multiple-choice and short answer; 67% long answer with full justification
required. 100 points in total; worth 20% of your final grade. NOTE: For multiple-
choice and short answer questions, your work will NOT be graded. You will get credits
for a multiple-choice or short answer question only when your answer is totally correct.

• Material covered (Lecture 1 to Lecture10): functions, domains, transformation of func-

tions; limits, one-sided limits, squeeze theorem, limits involving infinity, vertical and hor-
izontal asymptotes; continuity, Intermediate value theorem; rates of change, derivatives,
differentiation formulas, differentiation rules: power/product/quotient/chain rules, im-
plicit differentiation; related rates, linear approximations.

Sample instructions:

 Clearly write your name and student number on this test, and sign it below to confirm
that you have read, understood and agreed to follow these instructions:

 You have 110 minutes to complete this exam.

 This is a closed-book test. No notes. No calculators. The use of cell phones, pagers
or any text storage or communication device is not permitted.

 Put away everything except for a few pens or pencils, an eraser, and your student id.
card.

 The correct answer requires justification written legibly and logically: you must convince
the grader that you know why your solution is correct. Answer these questions in the
space provided.

 Use the backs of pages if necessary. Do not use any of your own scrap paper.

 Good Luck!

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 √
Question 1. The graph of the function y = x is given in Figure 1.1. What is the function
with the graph shown in Figure 1.2? Answer:

√ √ √
(A) y = x+2 (B) y = − x + 2 (C) y = − x − 2
√ √
(C) y = − x − 2 (D) y = − x + 2 (E) None of above

(a) Figure 1.1 (b) Figure 1.2

Question 2. Determine each of the following statements is true or false. Write T or F in

the given box.

(a) The function y = csc x is continuous at every real number.

x
(b) f (x) = is an odd function.
3x − 1

(c) g(x) = |2x−2| is not differentiable at x = 1.

x2 − 1
(d) The line y = −2 is a horizontal asymptote of the curve y = .
1 − 2x2

(e) If lim− g(x) = lim+ g(x) = 3 and g(2) = 1, then lim g(x) = 1.
x→2 x→2 x→2

(f) h(x) = x3/2 is differentiable at x = 0.

√ √
(g) If f (x) = x, g(x) = 2 − x, then 3 is in the domain of g◦f .

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Question 3. For the function h whose graph is given, state the value of each quantity, if it
exists. If it does not exist, explain why.

(a) lim− h(x) (b) lim+ h(x) (c) lim h(x)

x→3 x→3 x→−3

(d) h(−3) (e) lim− h(x) (f) lim+ h(x)

x→0 x→0

(g) lim h(x) (h) h(0) (i) lim h(x)

x→0 x→2

(j) h(2) (k) lim+ h(x) (l) lim− h(x)

x→5 x→5

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Question 4. For the function f whose graph is shown, state the following.

(a) lim f (x) (b) lim f (x) (c) lim f (x)

x→−7 x→−3 x→0

(f) The equations of the

(d) lim− f (x) (e) lim+ f (x) vertical asymptotes.
x→6 x→6

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Question 5. Evaluate each of the the following limits, if it exists. Your answers can involve
∞ or −∞.
x
(a) lim √
x→0 1 + 3x − 1

x2 − 1
(b) lim
x→1 |x − 1|

1
(c) lim |x| cos( )
x→0 x2

7x cos(x)
(d) lim
x→0 sin(3x)

5
 4x2 − 2x − 1
(e) lim
x→−∞ 3x2 + x + 5

2x + 4
(f) lim−
x→1 (x − 1)(x − 3)

x3 − 2x + 3
(g) lim
x→∞ 5 − 2x2

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Question 6. The function f (x) is defined as follows:
 3 2
 x − x − 2x
if x 6= 2
f (x) = x−2
5 if x = 2.


Is f continuous at x = 2? Justify your answer.

√
Question 7. Show that there is a root of the equation 3
x = 1 − x in the interval (0, 1).

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 √
Question 8. Use the definition of the derivative to compute f 0 (1), where f (x) = x.

√
Question 9. Find an equation of the tangent line of the curve y = x3 − 3
1 − x − 3 at the
point (2, 6).

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Question 10. Differentiate the following functions. You do not need to simplify.
√
 
1 3 3
(a) F (x) = − (x + 5x + 2)
x2 x4

1 + sin x
(b) y = √
x − cos x

r
t
(c) f (t) =
t2 +4

(d) y = [x + (x + sin2 x)3 ]4

1
(e) g(u) = u2 tan( )
u

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Question 11. Use implicit differentiation to find an equation of the tangent line to the
curve x2 + y 2 = (2x2 + 2y 2 − x)2 at the point (0, 12 ).

√
3
Question 12. Let f (x) = x + 1.

(a) Find the linearization L(x) of f (x) at x = −9.

√
(b) Use (a) to estimate the value of 3 −8.3.

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Question 13. A rope is attached to the bow of a sailboat coming in for the evening. Assume
that the rope is drawn in over a pulley 5 feet higher than the bow at the rate of 2 feet per
second, as shown in the figure below. How fast is the boat docking when the length of the
rope from bow to pulley is 12 feet?

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Question 14. A point moves around a circle x2 + y 2 = 45. When the point is at (6, 3), its
x coordinate is increasing at the rate of 18 unites per second.

(a) Is the point moving in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction (at the
instant when it is at (6, 3))?

(b) How fast is its y coordinate changing at the instant when it is at (6, 3)?

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