THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Department of Mathematics
MATH1510 Calculus for Engineers (Fall 2019)
Suggested solutions of coursework 1

Part A
1. (a) Given that √
f (x) = x+1 and g(x) = x2 − 5.
Find the domain of f ◦ g. Express your answers in interval notation.
(b) Given that
f (x) = |x2 − a|,
√
where a is a positive real number. Express the values of f (0) and f ( a + 1)
in terms of a, without absolute value sign.
Solution:

(a) Df = {x| x ≥ −1} = [−1, ∞) and Dg = R. Hence

Df ◦g = {x ∈ Dg | g(x) ∈ Df } = {x ∈ R| x2 − 5 ≥ −1}.

Note that

x2 − 5 ≥ −1 ⇐⇒ x2 − 4 ≥ 0
⇐⇒ (x − 2)(x + 2) ≥ 0
⇐⇒ x ≤ −2 or x ≥ 2.

Therefore Df ◦g = (−∞, −2] ∪ [2, ∞).

(b)
f (0) = |02 − a| = | − a| = a (∵ a > 0)
√ √
f ( a + 1) = |( a + 1)2 − a|
√ √
= |a + 2 a + 1 − a| (∵ ( a)2 = a)
√
= |2 a + 1|
√ √
=2 a+1 (∵ ( a > 0)
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2. For the sequence  

1
an = n sin , for n ≥ 1
n
fill the following table (correct to 4 decimal places) and guess the value of an when
n gets very large (approaches ∞).

n 1 10 100
an

Solution: (The numbers in the table are corrected to 4 decimal places.)

n 1 10 100
an 0.8415 0.9983 1.0000

The value of an should be 1 when n approaches ∞.

Part B
3. Consider the two functions:
√
f (x) = x and g(x) = tan x.

Find the range of g ◦ f . Express your answer in interval notation.

Solution: The graphs of f, g and g ◦ f are given below.
 3

!
√  π 2  3π 2 
π 3π

f (x) = x will send the set , to , and g(x) = tan x will
2 2 2 2
then send it to R. Hence, Range of g ◦ f = R.
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4. Consider the function


x
e
 if x ≥ 1
f (x) = |x| if − π2 < x < 1

sin x if x ≤ − π2


(a) Sketch the graph of f (x).

(b) Find the range of f (x). Express your answer as a union of intervals.

Solution:

(a) The graph of f (x) is given below.

(b) From the graph in part (a),

h π
Range of f = −1, ∪ [e, ∞).
2
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5. The path traveled by an object that is projected at an initial height of h0 feet, an

initial speed of v feet per second, and an initial angle θ is given by
16
y=− x2 + (tan θ)x + h0
v2 2
cos θ
where x and y are the horizontal distance and vertical distance respectively.
(This model takes g = 32 ft/s2 and neglects air resistance.)

If a football is kicked from the ground level with speed v,

v 2 sin θ cos θ
(a) Show that the total horizontal distance traveled is .
16
(b) * With what angle θ will the total horizontal distance traveled be maximized?

Solution:

(a) As the ball is kicked from the ground level, h0 = 0. The ball hits the ground
again when y = 0, hence
 
16 2 16
0=− 2 x + (tan θ)x + 0 = x tan θ − 2 x ,
v cos2 θ v cos2 θ

which implies that

v 2 tan θ cos2 θ v 2 sin θ cos θ

x = 0 (rejected) or x= = .
16 16
v 2 sin θ cos θ
Therefore the total horizontal distance travelled is .
16
(b) Note that

v 2 sin θ cos θ v 2 sin 2θ

Horizontal distance travelled = = , 0◦ ≤ θ ≤ 90◦ ,
16 32
and sin 2θ achieves its maximum when 2θ = 90◦ . Hence the total horizontal
distance travelled will be maximized when θ = 45◦ .
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6. The index of refraction of a material, denoted by n, is the ratio of the speed of

light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the material. Some common materials
and their indices are air (1.00), water (1.33) and glass (1.52). Triangular prisms are
often used to measure the index of refraction based on this formula:

 
θ α
sin +
2 2
n= α
sin
2

(Formula only applies when θ is the minimum deviation angle.)

Given that the prism is made of glass.

(a) Find θ (in degree, 3 decimal places) if the prism is an equilateral triangle.
(b) * Find α (in degree, 3 decimal places) if θ = 60◦ .

Solution:

(a) Equilateral triangle means α = 60◦ . Since the prism is made of glass, n = 1.52.
Hence
θ 60◦
 
sin +
2 2
1.52 = ◦
60
sin
 2 
θ
1.52 sin 30◦ = sin + 30◦
2
 
θ ◦
sin + 30 = 0.76
2
θ ≈ 38.928◦ .

(b) θ = 60◦ . Then

 α
sin 30◦ +
1.52 = 2
α
sin
2
α α
sin 30 cos + cos 30◦ sin
◦

1.52 = 2 2
α
sin
√ 2
1 α 3
1.52 = cot +
2 2 2
α 1
tan = √
2 2(1.52) − 3)
α ≈ 74.800◦ .