Some calculus problems: limits, derivatives, and simplification.

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculus problems related to limits, derivatives, and simplification techniques. Participants are exploring various approaches to evaluate limits and derivatives as part of a homework assignment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to evaluate limits using both algebraic simplification and L'Hopital's rule, while seeking confirmation on their methods. Some participants suggest algebraic simplification as an alternative to L'Hopital's rule. Others question the validity of manipulating expressions under radicals and discuss the implications of such manipulations.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problems, providing suggestions for simplification and questioning assumptions. There is a mix of interpretations regarding the manipulation of expressions, and some participants express uncertainty about the steps involved in their reasoning.

Contextual Notes

The homework assignment is noted to be graded, and participants are working through the problems with a deadline in mind. There is mention of needing to break down certain problems into piecewise functions and the application of the mean value theorem.

thrive
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I'm going to post the question and the work i have done thus far. I just need to know if I am on the right track with the problems and how I can go about simplifying them to finish them off.

These are from a class homework assignment that will be graded.


lim (sqrt((9x^2)+4))/x+3
x->00

lim (1/2)((9x^2)+4)^(-1/2)(18x) //L'Hopital rule
x->00

from there i got

lim (9x)/(sqrt((9x^2)+4))
x->00

where do i go from here?




lim sqrt(x^2 +6)/4x+7
x->-00

lim ((.5)(x^2 +6)^-1/2 (2x)) / 4
x->-00

where to from here?




lim sinxcosx
x-> (2pi)/3

i got that it equals -.433





for these i need to find the dy/dx

y=(sqrt(6x+3))/((4x-5^3)

i got

y'= (((6x+3)^(-1/2))[(1/2)(4x-5)-12(6x+3)]) / ((4x-5)^4)




y=(sqrt(5x+2))/((3x-1)^5)

i got

y'= (((5x+2)^-.5)[(5/2)(3x-1)-15])/((3x-1)^6)




y= (x^4)cotx

i got

y'= (-x^4)cscx + (4x^3)cotx




y=(3x^2)cscx

i got

y'=(-3x^2)cscxcotx + 6xcscx




some other weird problems:

find f'(3) using the alternate form of a derivative if f(x) is | x-3 |

well...all i know is f'(c)= lim as x -> c is (f(x)-f(c))/x-c

but do i need to break it down into piece-wise stuff to solve this one?



y=sin3x on [0, pi/6]

well...

this is mean value theorem so, i solved for both endpoints and got the dy/dx of the function and set it equal to the slope of the secant line...im suck on the step where i set it equal...so i have:

(3(sqrt(3)))= cos(2x)

i believe i need to use cos double angle theorem or something but I'm not sure how that would work.





any help on these would be GREATLY appreciated, this homework is not due until friday so I'm not last minuting it or anything...been working on a giant packet of this stuff for 3 weeks UGH...its all fun though :D
 
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ok i don't want to make any mistakes in interpreting your problem, so first one

\lim_{x \rightarrow \infty}\frac{\sqrt{9x^2 +4}}{x+3}

correct?

1. Rather than using L'Hopital's rule, can you simplify this algebraically?
 
Last edited:
rocophysics said:
ok i don't want to make any mistakes in interpreting your problem, so first one

\lim_{x \rightarrow \infty}\frac{\sqrt{9x^2 +4}}{x+3}

correct?

1. Rather than using L'Hopital's rule, can you simplify this algebraically?

is that is the correct problem...i have no clue how to simplify it algebraically...
 
The trick is to divide both the numerator and the denominator by a power of x
Watch this

\lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9x^2+4} / x}{(x+3)/x}

\lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9+\frac{4}{x^2}}}{1+\frac{3}{x}}

now can you see what to do?
 
Or expand the numerator with Binomial series n=1/2

\sqrt{9x^2 +4} = 3x + O(x^{1/2}).
 
can i just do something like this
sqrt(9x^2 + 4) -> 3x+2
 
edit: i got 3 as the answer
 
thrive said:
can i just do something like this
sqrt(9x^2 + 4) -> 3x+2
So you're saying if you take the square root of

\sqrt{9x^2 +4}

You can get

3x+2

Exactly how is that allowed? If it didn't have +4, you could.
 
  • #10
i don't understand how that works. how can he just change stuff inside the radical
 
  • #11
Well first we know that, when we manipulate a problem, we have to do it in a sense that it remains the same problem: multiplication of 1, addition of 0 ... etc.

Example:

\sqrt{x}

Now I'm going to manipulate it by multiplying & dividing by x/x

\sqrt{x}\times\frac{x}{x}=\sqrt{x}\times\frac{\sqrt{x^2}}{\sqrt{x^2}}

Notice: x=\sqrt{x^2}=x^{2\times\frac{1}{2}}=x

Now it has the same exponent of 1/2, I can combine the 2 and write it under one radical

1) \sqrt{a}\times\sqrt{b}=a^{\frac{1}{2}}\times b^{\frac{1}{2}}=(ab)^{\frac{1}{2}}

2) \frac{\sqrt{a}}{\sqrt{b}}=\frac{a^{\frac{1}{2}}}{b^{\frac{1}{2}}}=(\frac{a}b})^{\frac{1}{2}}

So ...

\sqrt{x}\times\frac{\sqrt{x^2}}{\sqrt{x^2}} \rightarrow \frac{\sqrt{x^3}}{\sqrt{x^2}}

No getting my original problem back

\frac{\sqrt{x^3}}{\sqrt{x^2}} \rightarrow \sqrt{\frac{x^3}{x^2}} \rightarrow \sqrt{x^{3-2}}=\sqrt{x}
 
Last edited:
  • #12
chickendude said:
The trick is to divide both the numerator and the denominator by a power of x
Watch this

\lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9x^2+4} / x}{(x+3)/x}

\lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{\sqrt{9+\frac{4}{x^2}}}{1+\frac{3}{x}}

now can you see what to do?

Chicken used a clever form of one...

What happens as x approaches infinity of 1/x? What can we call this?
 

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