Chapter 2: Limits

2.1: Rates of Change and Tangent Lines

Question: ​You and your family take a 420 mile road trip to Chicago. It takes 7 hours to get
there. What is your average velocity?

Does this really give us the full picture of your travel?

Graph of Travel:

Average Velocity​ =

What is going to tell us the velocity at one particular point? For instance, how fast are we going
3 hours into the trip?

Instantaneous Velocity:

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Chapter 2: Limits
How do we find a slope of a tangent line in order to estimate an instantaneous rate of
change?

Example: ​Galileo discovered that if the object is released at time ​t​ = 0 from a state of rest, then
the distance traveled after ​t​ seconds is given by the formula

s​ (​t​) = 4.9​t2​

A stone, released from a state of rest, falls to earth. Estimate the instantaneous velocity at
t​ =0.8s by computing the average velocity over intervals to the left and the right of t=0.8s.

Solution:

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.1 - Learning Targets
● I can clarify the difference between average rate of change and instantaneous rate of change.
● I can approximate the instantaneous rate of change using average rates of change.

Conclusion

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.2 Limits: A Numerical and Graphical Approach

Warm-up:

sinx
a. Graph f (x) = x

b. What does f(x) approach as x approaches 0?

Examples:

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Chapter 2: Limits

lim f (x) = L if and only if lim f (x) = lim = L

x→a x→a− x→a+

In other words:

Examples of Finding Limits With Direct Substitution or Graphing:

x2 +x−12
1. lim 4x2 − 8x + 1 2. lim x−3
x→5 x→3

3. lim x12 4. lim 2

x→0 x→10

5. lim |xx| 6. lim 1

lim 1
x→0 x→2− x−2 x→2+ x−2

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.2 Learning Targets

● I can articulate what must happen to a function at a given point for the limit to exist.
● I can evaluate a limit by using direct substitution.
● I can evaluate a limit by looking at a table or graph.
Conclusion

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.4 Limits and Continuity

Warm-Up:
Find any holes or vertical asymptotes in the following functions. Try it algebraically or look at the
graphs.

ex +2 x2 −4x−12
a.​ f (x) = x−1 b. ​ g (x) = x2 +5x+6

x3 +64
c.​ h(x) = x2 +x−12

Activity: Examine the following graphs and answer the questions below.

a. b. c.

d. e. ​f.

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Chapter 2: Limits
Questions:

1. Which of the graphs are continuous for all values of x?

2. Which of the graphs have discontinuities? How would you describe each of these discontinuities?

3. How many types of discontinuities are there?

4. What makes a function continuous?

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Chapter 2: Limits

Examples:

Examples:

Discuss the continuity of the following functions:

5x2 +2
a.​ f (x) = 4x5 − 3x2 + 1 b.​ g (x) = x3 −1

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Chapter 2: Limits

Graphs:

More Examples:

1. Describe the continuity of the following graph:

2. Let . What values of c make f(x) continuous everywhere?

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.4 Learning Targets

● I can explain the difference between continuous and discontinuous functions.

● I know that 3 types of discontinuities and what creates them in an equation.

Conclusion

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.5 Basic Limit Laws and Evaluating Limits Algebraically

Warm-Up:
Simplify the following fractions:

x2 −4x x3 +8
a.​ f (x) = b.​ g (x) = x+2
x2 −3x−4

√1+h−1
c.​ f (h) = h

Finding Limits Algebraically

1. Direct Substitution

a.​ lim x−2

x→3

b.​ lim x2 − 2x + 1
x→1

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Chapter 2: Limits
2. Indeterminate Form

2
a.​ lim xx−4
−16
x→4

2
b.​ lim xx2−4x+3
+x−12
x→3

tanx
c.​ limπ secx
x→ 2

h−5
d.​ lim √ h+4−3
h→5

(h+a)2 −a2
e. ​ lim h
h→0

3. Infinite Limits or DNE

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Chapter 2: Limits

2
a.​ lim x x−2
−x−5
x→2

Example:

sin(4h) sin(x)
a.​ lim 4h b.​ lim 5x
h→0 x→0

2.5 Learning Targets

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Chapter 2: Limits

● I know the 3 possible outcomes when evaluating a limit algebraically and how to interpret that
outcome.

Conclusion

2.7 Limits at Infinity

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Chapter 2: Limits

Warm-Up:
Graph the following function and discuss their “end behavior”...i.e. what happens to f(x) as x
approaches − ∞ and ∞ .

4x3 +5 x4 +3x2 +2
a. ​ f (x) = x3 −1
b.​ f (x) = x3 −1

x−2
c.​ f (x) = x2 +x+1

Try these on your own:

5
x+5 2x −2x3 +18
1. lim x2 −25
2. lim 4 2
x→∞ x→±∞ x +x −x+2

3 5 3 2
2x −16 6x −16x +2x −5
3. lim 3 4. lim 3
x→±∞ x −27 x→±∞ 8x −5x+17

Finish the statement: To find the value of an infinite limit of a power function….

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Chapter 2: Limits

What does the value of the infinite limit represent?

Graphical Examples:

What if we don’t have a power function? For example,

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Chapter 2: Limits

Evaluate: ​ lim x
x→∞ lnx

Activity:​ ​Rank the following functions. 1 = Most Powerful, 9 = Least Powerful

Function Rank

f (x) = x

f (x) = x!

f (x) = e x

f (x) = x 5

f (x) = ln(x)

f (x) = x x

f (x) = 5 x

f (x) = 1 x

f (x) = x 2

Evaluate the following limits and identify the horizontal asymptote if there is one:
x 3
3 +5x 5x +2x
1.​ lim 2.​ lim
x→∞ x!
3
x→±∞ 2x +2

x
e +1
3.​ lim 4.​ lim lnx
x→∞ 2x
3
x→±∞ 5x

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.7 Learning Targets

● I can find the horizontal asymptotes of a graph by taking a limit.

● I can evaluate an infinite limit by comparing the numerator and denominator.

Conclusion

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.8 Intermediate Value Theorem

Warm-Up:
If f(x) is a continuous function and f(1) = -5 and f(6) = 10, will there be a value c , where 1 ≤ c ≤ 6,
such that f(c) = 0? Why?

Compare the following graphs:

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Chapter 2: Limits
Example 1:
t
Prove that​ t+1 = .499 has a solution on the interval [0, 1].

Example 2:
Show that f (x) = cos2 (x) − 2sin( 4x ) has a zero on the interval (0,2).

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Chapter 2: Limits
2.8 Learning Targets

● I can define the Intermediate Value Theorem (IVT) in my own words.

● I can use the IVT to prove the existence of a solution or zero of a function.

Conclusion

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Chapter 2: Limits
Suggested Homework Assignments

2.1: ​5, 6, 7, 9, 20, 22, 25

2.2: ​4-6, 15, 17, 23, 27, 37, 38, 47, 48, 49
2.4: ​1, 6, 17, 22, 27, 28, 33, 51, 57
2.5: ​3, 7, 11, 12, 15, 21, 22, 27, 41, 51
2.7: ​2, 5, 8, 13, 14, 19, 21, 35
2.8: ​1, 3, 4, 5, 13

Retake Remediation Assignment ​- Must be completed and turned in at the

time of the retake.

2.1:​ 7, 20, 25 2.2:​ 4-6, 27, 48

2.4:​ 17, 27, 51 2.5:​ 7, 12, 22
2.7:​ 8, 13, 21 2.8:​ 1

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