DATE: _________________________

AP CALCULUS: Unit 1 – Evaluating Limits

Objectives:

• Develop algebraic techniques to evaluate limits: lim f (x ) and lim f (x )

x® a x ®¥

• Develop techniques to explore limits using your graphing calculator

• Examine the Limit Laws and use to determine limits

Part 1 à Evaluating Limits algebraically

• Always start with direct substitution

• If inderterminate form, then work to maniputate algebraically

1. Evaluate each of the following limits (if they exist!).

x+3 x-9 -1
(a) lim (b) lim (c) lim 8 (d) lim x (
(e) lim 2 x 3 - 4 x ) (f) lim
x ®0 x2 - 3 x ®3 x-3 x® -2 x® 5 x® 3 x ® -5 (x + 5)2

2. Evaluate each of the following limits (if they exist!).

x 2 - 3x + 2 x 2 - 3x + 2 x 2 - 4x + 4 x 2 - 3x + 2
(a) lim (b) lim (c) lim (d) lim 2
x ®2 x2 + 4 x + 4 x ®2 x2 - 4 x ®2 x2 - 4 x ®2 x - 4 x + 4

3. Evaluate each of the following limits (if they exist!).

(a) lim
x2 - 9
(b) lim
( x - 3) - 9
2
(c) lim
16 + h - 4
x ®3
x-3 x ®0 x h ®0 h
 AP Calculus
Evaluating Limits
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1 1
-
1- x
(d) lim (e) lim 2 + h 2
x ®1
1- x h ®0
h

4. Evaluate each of the following limits (if they exist!). Hint: Graph the given function for (c) and (d)

(a) lim 36 - x 2 (b) lim 36 - x 2 (c) lim 36 - x 2 (d) lim 36 - x 2

x ®0 x ® -5 x ® -6 + x ® -6

x2 + 4 - 2
5. Evaluate lim algebraically, and then verify using your graphics calculator
x ®0 x2
 AP Calculus
Evaluating Limits
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LIMITS as xà Infinity
Order of Magnitude of a Function

Order of Magnitude of a function is determined by how fast a function grows as the values of x
become extremely large (as x ® ¥ ).

From highest to lowest, the order of magnitude of the following functions is:

1. Exponential Functions: e.g. f (x ) = e x

2. Polynomial Functions: e.g. f (x ) = x n , where n is a positive constant. ( lim x10 = ¥ )

x ®¥

3. Logarithmic Functions: f (x) = ln x

g (x )
Given a rational function, f (x ) = , the limit as x goes to infinity will be:
h( x )

(A) ZERO, if h(x ) is of higher order than g (x ) .

(B) INFINITY, if h(x ) is of lower order than g (x ) .
(C) A finite number if h(x ) and g (x ) are of the same magnitude.

1. Evaluate the following limits.

2x 2 + x - 1 1 1
(a) lim 2 (b) lim x 3 (c) lim x 2 - x (d) lim (e) lim
x ®¥ 3 x + 5 x + 3 x ®¥ x ®¥ x ®¥ x3 x ®¥ x -3

2. Determine each limit, if it exists.

5 x 2 - 3x + 4 6x2 4x4 - 3 x2 - 2x
(a) lim (b) lim (c) lim (d) lim
x ®¥ 2 x 2 + x - 7 x ®¥ x3 + 3x - 5 x ®¥ 2 x3 + x 2 + 3 x ®0 x

ln(3 x ) ex x3 x
(e) lim (f) lim (g) lim (h) lim
x ®¥ x5 x ®¥ x 3 x ®¥ e x x®¥ x

e 3x 2x 3 - 4x -1 3x 2 + 1 sin x
(i) lim (j) lim 3 (k) lim (l) lim
x ® ¥ 100 ln x x ®¥ 5 x - 3x 2 + 2 x - 5 x ®¥ 5x - 3 x ®¥ x
 AP Calculus
Evaluating Limits
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More Limit Practice:

3. Use your graphics calculator to determine each of the following limits.

cos x - 1
lim (1 + 1x )
sin x x
(a) lim (b) lim (c)
x ®0 x x ®0 x x ®¥

(d) lim x 2 - 4x - x
x® ¥

(x )
4

-1 3
3
4. Given f (x ) = . Use your graphics calculator to investigate the behaviour of f (x ) at
x -1
x = 1.

Then, try to evaluate algebraically.

**Hint: can you factor the numerator?**

eh - 1
5. Using your graphics calculator, evaluate: lim .
h ®0 h
 AP Calculus
Evaluating Limits
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LIMIT PROPERTIES (from your textbook … read over … do they make sense?)
Suppose that c is a constant and that the limits lim f (x ) and lim g (x) exist.
x®a x®a

Property Description

lim c = c The limit of a constant is equal to the

1. x ®a constant.

lim x = a The limit of x as x approaches a is equal

2. x ®a to a.

3. lim [ f (x ) + g (x )] = lim f (x ) + lim g ( x) The limit of a sum is the sum of the

x®a x®a x®a limits.

4. lim [ f (x ) - g (x )] = lim f (x ) - lim g ( x) The limit of a difference is the difference

x®a x®a x®a of the limits.
The limit of a constant times a function is
5. lim [cf (x)] = c lim f (x) the constant times the limit of the
x ®a x ®a
function.

6. lim [ f (x) g (x)] = lim f (x) • lim g ( x) The limit of a product is the product of
x®a x®a x®a the limits.

é f (x )ù lim f (x )
x ®a
lim ê = The limit of a quotient is the quotient of
x ®a g ( x ) ú g (x ) if
7. ë û lim
x ®a
the limits. (provided the denominator
lim g (x ) ¹ 0 does not equal 0)
x ®a

8. x ®a
[
lim [ f ( x )] = lim f ( x )
n
x ®a
]
n
The limit of a power is the power of the
limit, provided that the exponent is a
rational number.

9. lim n f (x ) = n lim f (x ) The limit of a root is the root of the limit,

x ®a x ®a provided that the root exists.
 AP Calculus
Evaluating Limits
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Practice with Limit Laws

6. Given that: lim f (x ) = -2 , lim g (x ) = 27 and lim h(x ) = 0.

x®a x ®a x ®a
Use the Limit Laws to determine each of the following limits (if they exist!).

lim[ f (x ) + g (x )] lim[ f (x ) g (x )] [
(c) lim f (x ) ]
2
(a) (b)
x ®a x® a x® a

g (x ) 5
(d) lim 3
g (x ) (e) lim (f) lim
x® a x® a
f (x ) x®a
h( x )