Calculus 2 : Finding Limits and One-Sided Limits

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Calculus 2

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Example Questions

Example Question #101 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The limiting situation in this equation would be the denominator. Plug the value that x is approaching into the denominator to see if the denominator will equal 0. In this question, the denominator will equal zero when x=-3; so we try to eliminate the denominator by factoring. When the denominator is no longer zero, we may continue to insert the value of x into the remaining equation.

Example Question #102 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The limiting situation in this equation would be the denominator. Plug the value that x is approaching into the denominator to see if the denominator will equal 0. In this question, the denominator will equal zero when x=-2; so we try to eliminate the denominator by factoring. When the denominator is no longer zero, we may continue to insert the value of x into the remaining equation.

Example Question #103 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

This limit DNE because the denominator is zero and we cannot factor to get anything else.

Example Question #146 : Calculus Ii

Screen shot 2015 07 27 at 5.34.29 pm

Given the graph of  above, what is ?

Possible Answers:

Does Not Exist

Correct answer:

Does Not Exist

Explanation:

Examining the graph, we can observe that does not exist, as   is not continuous at . We can see this by checking the three conditions for which a function  is continuous at a point :

 

  1. A value  exists in the domain of 

  2. The limit of  exists as  approaches 

  3. The limit of  at  is equal to 

 

Given , we can see that condition #1 is not satisfied because the graph has a vertical asymptote instead of only one value for  and is therefore an infinite discontinuity at .

We can also see that condition #2 is not satisfied because  approaches two different limits:  from the left and  from the right.

Based on the above, condition #3 is also not satisfied because  is not equal to the multiple values of .

Thus, does not exist.

 

 

Example Question #104 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the following limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To evaluate the limit, we must first pull out a factor consisting of the highest power term divided by itself (so we are unchanging the contents of the limit):

After the factor we pulled out cancels to 1, we can see that the numerator of the fraction goes to zero (as infinity is reached to the -1 power).

Therefore, the limit approaches .

 

Example Question #148 : Limits

Screen shot 2015 07 27 at 3.09.57 pm

Given the graph of  above, what is ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Examining the graph, we want to find where the graph tends to as it approaches zero from the left hand side. We can see that there appears to be a vertical asymptote at zero. As the x values approach zero from the left, the function values of the graph tend towards positive infinity.

Thus, we can observe that  , as  approaches  from the left.

Example Question #149 : Limits

Screen shot 2015 07 27 at 5.31.27 pm

Given the graph of  above, what is ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Examining the graph, we want to find where the graph tends to as it approaches zero from the right hand side. We can see that there appears to be a vertical asymptote at zero. As the x values approach zero from the right, the function values of the graph tend towards positve infinity.

Therefore, we can observe that  , as  approaches  from the right.

Example Question #105 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Find the value of the limit if it exists.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The expression

means the limit of the function as x approaches 3 from the right.

Because

we see that 

Example Question #104 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

There is no limiting situation in this equation (like a denominator) so we can just plug in the value that x approaches into the limit and solve:

Example Question #105 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the limit:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

There is no limiting situation in this equation (like a denominator) so we can just plug in the value that x approaches into the limit and solve:

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