TUTORIAL EXERCISES: LIMITS AND DIFFERENTIATION

Instructions: Answer all questions showing clearly the working.

SECTION A: LIMITS AND DIFFERENTIATION

1. Evaluate the following limits

x2 + 3x − 4 3x − 4
a. lim x2 − 2x + 3 b. lim c. lim
x⟶2 x⟶1 x − 1 x⟶∞ 5x + 1

2. Evaluate the following limits

√x − 2 6x + 5 4x3 − 2x + 1
a. lim b. lim c. lim
x⟶4 x − 4 x⟶∞ 2x + x + 1
2 x⟶∞ 3x2 − x + 2

3. Evaluate the following limits

x3 − x2 − 4
a. lim x2 (2x + 3) b. lim
x⟶2 x⟶1 x2 − 6x + 18

4. Evaluate the following limits

sin2 x cos 6x − cos 4x sin2 x

a. lim b. lim c. lim
x⟶0 x x⟶0 cos 8x − cos 6x x⟶0 1 − cos x

5. Differentiate the following functions from first principle

a. f(x) = x2 b. f(x) = x3 − 2x + 4 c. f(x) = c, c ∈ ℝ

d. f(x) = sin x

6. Differentiate the following functions from first principle

a. f(x) = cos 3x b. f(x) = tan x c. f(x) = √x

2x 3
d. f(x) =
3x + 4

1, x>0
7. Show that if f(x) = |x|, then f '(x) =
−1, x<0

8. Find the derivative of y = arc tan x with respect to x by first principle.

eh 1
9. By using the fact that lim = 1, find the derivative of f(x) = esin x by first principle.
h→0 h

10. Differentiate the following with respect to x

sin x
a. y = 2x2 − 5x + 2 b. y =(3x2 + 4x)( - 9) c. y =
1 + cos x
d. y = (1 + 3x2 )4 e. y = e2x+3 f. y = sin(6x2 + 7x2 + 8)
1 dy
11. Given that y = 8x2 − 2x 2 , find .
dx

3+x
12. If y = ln , show that
3–x

dy 6
=
dx 9 − x2

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 cos 2x dy π
13. Given that y = , find when x = .
1 + sin 2x dx 4

14. Show clearly that

d x−4 1
a. =
dx √x − 2 2√x

d 4x − 8√x + 3 1
b. =
dx √x − 1
2
√x √x − 1
3

15. Differentiate with respect to 𝑥 the following

a. y = [f(x)]n b. y = ln[f(x)] c y = ef(x)

16. Differentiate the following functions with respect to 𝑥

a. y = 2tan x b. y = (1 + x3 )cos x c. y = 3x ln 3
x
d. y = log[2 + sin x] e. y = √sin x
π
17. Given that f(x) = sin x ln(tan x), find f ’(x) when x = .
4

18. If f(x) = √x g(x), where g(4) = 2 and g ’(4) = 3, find f ‘(4).

19. Write |x| = √x2 and use the chain rule to show that

d x
|x| =
dx |x|

20. Is it true that if f is differentiable, then

d f '(x)
f √x =
dx 2√x
d2 y
21. Given that y = ln x, find .
dx2

1 x
22. If y = , then find y’’(1).
x

23. Given that P(x) be a polynomial of degree 4, with P(2) = −1, P’(2) = 0, P’’(2) = 2, P’’’(2) = − 12, find
P’’(1).
dy
24. Given that sin y = sin x, find .
dx

dy 1
25. Show that if y = ln x, then = .
dx x

26. Given that y3 + 2xy + x2 = 0, find the gradient of the curve at the point (1,1).
dy
27. If x2 + 3xy + y2 = 7, find and show that
dx

d2 y dy 2
dy
3x + 2y +2 +6 +2=0
dx 2 dx dx
28. Differentiate y = log(3x2 + 2x − 1) with respect to x.

29. If y cos x = ex , then show that

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 d2 y dy
− 2tan x − 2y = 0
dx 2 dx
30. Given that x = θ + sin θ and y = cos θ, show that
2
dy
= 1 + 3 sec2 y
dx
31. If sin y = x sin a + y , prove that

dy sin2 a + y
=
dx sin a

32. If y− y − y − y…∞ = x + x + x + √x … ∞, then show that

dy x − y − 1
=
dx x − y + 1

33. Differentiate the following functions with respect to x

1 ax 1 1 x 1
a. y = cos b. y = tan c. y = sin √x
b 1+x

dy
34. If y = sec 1 (2x), then find when x = −1.
dx

35. If x + y + y − x = c, then show that

d2 y 2
=
dx2 c2
36. If

1
x 1
1−x
y = tan + sin 2 tan
1 + √1 − x2 1+x

then prove that

2
2 )3
d2 y
4(1 − x + 4x = x2 + 4
dx2
dy
37. Given that x = t2 + 2 and y = (2t + 1)2 , find the value of when t = 2.
dx

3at 3at2 dy 1
38. If x = and y = , find at t = .
1 + t3 1 + t3 dx 2

d2 y
39. Given that x = sin t and y = cos t, find .
dx2

40. Differentiate sin x with respect to tan x.

1 2x 1
41. Differentiate sin with respect to tan x.
1 + x2

1
42. Find the derivative of f sin x with respect to g(x2 + x) at x = 0 if f ‘(0) = 2g ‘(0).

43. Given that

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 xsin x + cos x
f(x) = , x ∈ ]0, π]
xcos x − sinx
Show that

f' (x) = g(x)sec [x + arccot x]

Where g(x) is a rational function to be found.

44. Given that y = arc cos x , x ∈ ℝ, −1 ≤ x ≤ 1

a. By writing the above equation in the form x = f(y), show that

dy 1
=−
dx √1 − x2

A curve has equation y = arc cos(1 − x2 ) , x ∈ ℝ, 0 < x ≤ √2

b. Show further that

d2 y 2x
= 3
dx2
(2 − x)2

c. Show clearly that

d3 y d2 y dy 2
dy 5
16 = 4x + (2 +x2 )
dx3 dx2 dx dx

SECTION B: APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIATION

1. Using De L’Hopital rule, evaluate the following limits

x−3 4x ln x
a. lim b. lim 3x ln x c. lim
x⟶3 x2 − 9 x⟶0 x⟶1 x−1
2. Evaluate the following limits
x
1 5x ln x
a. lim 1+ b. lim (1 + nx)2/n c. lim
x⟶∞ x n⟶0 x⟶3 x−3
x sin x
d. lim e. lim(1 − 2x )sin x
x⟶0 √2x2 + 3 − √3 x⟶0

1
3. The displacement, s, of a particle at time t is expressed as s = t3 − 6t. Find the acceleration at the
2
time when the velocity vanishes.

4. On the curve x3 = 12y, find the interval of values of x for which the abscissa changes at a faster rate
than the ordinate.

5. Given that x and y are the sides of two squares such that y = x − x2 . Find the rate of change of the
area of the second square with respect to the area of the first square.

6. The sides of a square are increasing at a rate of 20 cms 1 . Find the rate at which the area of the
square is increasing when the sides of the square are of length 3 m.

7. Suppose the radius, r, of a circle is 3 cm at a certain instant and it is increasing at a rate of 0.5 cms 1 .
At what rate will the area be increasing at that instant?

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8. Air is being pumped into a spherical balloon so that its volume increases at a rate of 1000 cm3 s 1 .
How fast is the radius of the sphere increasing when the diameter is 50 cm.

9. A spherical balloon when inflated increases at a rate of 20 cm3 /s, when its radius is 4 cm. Find the
rate at which the surface area increases.

10. The volume of a spherical balloon is increasing at a rate of 10 πcm3 s 1 . Find in cms 1 , the rate at
which the radius is increasing at the instant when it is 4 cm.

11. A ladder 10 m long rests against a vertical wall. If the bottom of the ladder slides away from the
wall at a rate of 1 m/s, how fast is the top of the ladder sliding down the wall when the foot of the
ladder is 6 m from the wall?

12. Water flows from a tap into a cylindrical vessel and the water level in the vessel rises at the
constant rate of 10 cm/s. Given that the radius of the vessel is 5 cm, calculate the rate at which the
vessel is being filled. Given also that the volume of the vessel is 1000 πcm3 , determine the time it will
take for the vessel to be full.

13. A conical vessel of semi vertical angle 45° is held with its vertex downward and axis vertical.
Water runs into the vessel at a constant rate of 2π cm3 /s. Find the rate at which the depth of water in
the vessel is increasing when water has been running for 36s.

14. If the radius of a sphere is increased from 2 cm to 2.01 cm. Find the approximate increase in the
volume of the sphere.
54
15. If P = and x decreases from 3 to 2.98. What is the approximate % change in the value of P.
x2

16. The surface area of a sphere is given by A = 4πr2 where r is the radius of the sphere is decreased
by 2% where r = 5 cm, find the approximate % change in the surface area.

17. Find the approximate value for the increase in the radius of a sphere given that this increase causes
the surface area of the sphere to increase from 100πcm2 to 100.4πcm2 .

18. Find an equation of the tangent and of the normal to the curve y = 3x2 − x + 1 at the point (1, 3).

19. Find the equation of the normal to the curve y = x2 + 3x − 2 at the point where the curve cuts the y
– axis.

20. Find the equation of the tangent to y = ex at the point x = 0.

21. Find the equation of the tangents to the curve y = (2x − 1)(x + 1) at the points where the curve
cuts the x – axis.

22. Find the coordinates of the point on y = x2 − 5 at which the gradient is 3. Hence, find the value of c
for which the line y = 3x + c is tangent to y = x2 − 5.
1
23. Find the equation of all straight lines which are tangent to the curve y = and which is parallel
x 1
to the line x + y = 0.

24. Find the value of k for which y = 2x + k is tangent to y = 2x2 − 3.

25. Find the equation of the normal to y = x3 − 3x which is parallel to 2x + 18y = 9.

26. Find the equation of the normal to the curve y = x2 − |x| at x = −2.

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27. Find the domain of definition of the function

1
f(x) =
x2 − 3x + 2
28. Find the intercepts of the function

2x
f(x) =
x2 +1
29. Find the vertical asymptotes of the function

x2 + 2x
f(x) =
x2 − 1
30. Find the horizontal asymptotes of the function

2x2 + 4x + 5
f(x) =
x2 + 1
31. Find the points on y = x4 + 4x3 − 6 at which the gradient is 0 and determine the nature of these
points.

32. Given the function

x3 +2
f(x) =
x2 − 4x
find the turning points of y = f(x) and distinguish between them.

33. A farmer has an adjustable electric fence that is 100m long. He uses this fence to enclose a
rectangular grazing area on three sides, the fourth side being a fixed hinge. Find the maximum area he
can enclose.

34. Find the point of inflexion of the function f(x) = x3 − 6x2 .

35. Find the range of values of x for which

a. f(x) = x3 − 3x2 − 9x + 10 is increasing

b. f(x) = 4x3 − 3x is decreasing

36. Study the monotonicity over the set of real numbers of the following functions
x
a. f(x) = ,x≠ −1
x 1

b. f(x) = x2 ex

x3
37. Find the range of values of k for which f(x) = kx − , x ∈ ℝ.
x2 + 1

38. Without using any calculator, and assuming that π = 3. 14, show that

3π > π3

39. Sketch the curve of y = x3 − 3x2 + 3x, showing clearly the intercepts and turning points.
x 2
40. Sketch the curve of y = , showing clearly the intercepts and the behavior of the curve near the
x 1
asymptotes.

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41. Sketch the graph of y = f(x) where

3x + 3
f(x) =
x(3 − x)
x
42. Find the turning points of the curve with equation y = xe and hence sketch its curve.
1
43. Sketch the curve of y = , showing clearly the asymptotes and the turning points. Hence on th
x2 4
1
same graph sketch the graph of y = .
x2 4

ax + b
44. The graph of the function f(x) = has a stationary value at the point (−1, −1). Find the values
x2 + 2
of the constants a and b. Show that this stationary value is minimum and find the value of x for which
the function has a maximum value. Sketch the curve of y = f(x).

45. Sketch the graph of y = f(x) where

1
f(x) = ln x
x
x
46. Verify Rolle’s theorem for f(x) = x(x + 3)e in the interval [−3, 0].
1 3
47. Suppose that f(x) = x2 − x2 on [0, 1]. Find a number c, that verifies Rolle’s Theorem.

48. Is Rolle’s Theorem valid for the function below?

3
f(x) = 8x − x2
f(b) f(a)
49. Find the value of c that satisfy the equation f '(c) = for f(x) = ln(x − 1) in the interval 2 ≤
b a
x ≤ 4.

50. Suppose f(0) = −3 and f '(x) ≤ 5 for all values of x. How large can f(2) possibly be?

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