How to Solve a Limit Problem with a Denominator of Zero?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Flamingo
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Limit
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
6 replies · 2K views
Flamingo
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
I'm having trouble with this one. How do I get h out of the denominator?

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{\frac{1}{(a+h)^{2}}-\frac{1}{x^{2}}}{h}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{1}{h(a+h)^2}-\frac{1}{hx^{2}}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{hx^2-h(a+h)^2}{h^2x^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{x^2-(a+h)^2}{hx^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

I keep getting a divide by zero. Am I wrong?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Flamingo said:
I'm having trouble with this one. How do I get h out of the denominator?

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{\frac{1}{(a+h)^{2}}-\frac{1}{x^{2}}}{h}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{1}{h(a+h)^2}-\frac{1}{hx^{2}}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{hx^2-h(a+h)^2}{h^2x^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{x^2-(a+h)^2}{hx^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

I keep getting a divide by zero. Am I wrong?

Are you trying to find the derivative of 1/x^2 using the def. of the derivative??
 
that should be an 'a' where it is an 'x', sorry.
 
and, yes, I am suppose to solve it using algebra.
 
Flamingo said:
I'm having trouble with this one. How do I get h out of the denominator?

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{\frac{1}{(a+h)^{2}}-\frac{1}{x^{2}}}{h}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{1}{h(a+h)^2}-\frac{1}{hx^{2}}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{hx^2-h(a+h)^2}{h^2x^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

[tex]lim_{h\rightarrow0}\left(\frac{x^2-(a+h)^2}{hx^2(a+h)^2}\right)[/tex]

I keep getting a divide by zero. Am I wrong?
i do not know whether u did the algebra good up to the last part, i won't be checking that. here at the last part you can rearrange the numerator like this

: a^2-(a+h)^2=(a-a-h)(a+a+h)=-h(2a+h)
so you will get rid of the h on the denominator.