Unsolvable limit of trigonometric function

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the limit of the function sin(3t)^2/t^2 as t approaches 0, within the context of limits in calculus. The original poster expresses difficulty in solving the limit without using L'Hopital's rule, which has not yet been covered in their studies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the known limit of sin(x)/x as x approaches 0 and suggest using properties of limits for products. There are mentions of rewriting the expression to facilitate finding the limit, including factoring out constants and using known limit properties.

Discussion Status

Several participants have provided guidance on how to approach the limit, suggesting different ways to manipulate the expression. There is an ongoing exploration of the relationship between sin(3t) and t, with no explicit consensus reached on a single method.

Contextual Notes

The original poster has indicated a limitation in their current knowledge, specifically the lack of familiarity with L'Hopital's rule, which may affect their ability to solve the problem directly.

cuthecheese
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I need to find the limit of sin(3t)^2/t^2 as t approaches 0. We have not yet learned L'Hopital's rule, so how do I find the limit here?

I tried to take the derivative of sin(3t)^2/t^2, but it is nowhere near cancelling out 't' from the bottom.

Thanks
 
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Do you know the limit of sin(x)/x as x->0? Do you know the rules for a limit of a product?

If, so use those along with the fact that [tex]\frac{\sin^2(3t)}{t^2}=\frac{\sin(3t)}{t}\cdot\frac{\sin(3t)}{t}[/tex]
 
And, if that isn't enough, the obvious
[tex]\frac{sin^2(3t)}{t^2}= 9\frac{sin(3t)}{3t}\cdot\frac{sin(3t)}{3t}[/tex]
 
[tex]\lim_{t \rightarrow 0}(\frac{sin(3t)^2}{t^2})[/tex]

Now remember [tex]\lim_{t \rightarrow 0}\frac{sin(t)}{t}=1[/tex].

So [tex]\lim_{t \rightarrow 0}(\frac{sin(3t)^2}{t^2})=\lim_{t \rightarrow 0}(\frac{sin(3t)}{t})^2[/tex].

It is pretty easy from now on. In future, please consider using LaTeX code.

Regards.
 

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