Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

Worksheet for Week 4: Limits and Derivatives

This worksheet reviews limits and the definition of the derivative with graphs and computations.
1. Answer the following questions using the graph y = f (x) below. The function f (x) has
domain all numbers except 7 as seen from the graph.

f (−8 + h) − f (−8)
(h) lim+ =∞
h→0 h

(a) lim f (x) = DNE

x→4 f (−8 + h)
(i) lim =∞
h→0 h
(b) lim+ f (x) = ∞
x→7
f (−6 + h) − f (−6)
(j) lim = f 0 (−6) = 0
h→0 h
(c) f 0 (0) = 5
3

f (−3 + h) + 5 5
(d) lim f (x) = −5 (k) lim+ = 3
x→−3
h→0 h

f (x) (l) List all the intervals where the derivative f 0 (x)
(e) lim = f 0 (0) = 5
3 is negative. (−6, −3), (5, 7), (7, 8)
x→0 x

f (3 + h) − 5 (m) List all the intervals where the derivative f 0 (x)

(f) lim = f 0 (3) = 5
3 is decreasing. (−8, −3), (4, 7)
h→0 h

(g) f 0 (5) = 0 (n) A critical value for f (x) is any x in the

domain of f (x) where f 0 (x) = 0 or f 0 (x) is
undefined. List all critical values of f (x).
x = −8, −6, −3, 4, 5, 8
Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

2. Evaluate the following limits and then match the functions with their graphs shown
below using your limit results. Some will require you to compute left and right hand
limits.
1
(a) lim =
x→5 x − 5

Solution:
1 1
lim+ =∞ and lim− = −∞
x→5 x − 5 x→5 x−5
so the limit Does Not Exist.
−x
(b) lim =
x→5 (x − 5)2

Solution:
−x
lim = −∞
x→5 (x − 5)2

−x2 − 2x + 35
(c) lim 2 =
x→5 x − 4x − 5

Solution:
−x2 − 2x + 35 −(x − 5)(x + 7) −(x + 7) −12
lim 2
= lim = lim = = −2
x→5 x − 4x − 5 x→5 (x − 5)(x + 1) x→5 x+1 6

√
x− 3x + 10
(d) lim =
x→5 x−5
Solution:
√ √
x− 3x + 10 x + 3x + 10 x2 − 3x − 10
lim · √ = lim √

x→5 x−5 x + 3x + 10 x→5 (x − 5) x + 3x + 10

(x − 5)(x + 2) x+2 7
= lim √
= lim √ =
x→5 (x − 5) x + 3x + 10 x→5 x + 3x + 10 10

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Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

√
−x2 − 2x + 35 x− 3x + 10 1 −x
y= y= y= y=
x2 − 4x − 5 x−5 x−5 (x − 5)2

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Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

f (a + h) − f (a)
3. Use the definition of the derivative f 0 (a) = lim to compute f 0 (3) for the
h→0 h
following functions. Then match the functions with their graphs shown below using your
limit results.
1
(a) f (x) = (x − 3) 3 + 2

Solution:
f (3 + h) − f (3) (3 + h − 3)1/3 + 2 − 2 h1/3 1
lim = lim = lim = lim 2/3 = ∞
h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h

so f 0 (3) does not exist.

2
(b) f (x) = (x − 3) 3 + 2

Solution:
f (3 + h) − f (3) (3 + h − 3)2/3 + 2 − 2 h2/3 1
lim = lim = lim = lim 1/3
h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h

The limit does not exists because the left and right limits are −∞ and ∞,
respectively. So f 0 (3) does not exist.

(c) f (x) = |x − 3| + 2

Solution:
f (3 + h) − f (3) |3 + h − 3| + 2 − 2 |h|
lim = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h

The limit does not exists because the left and right limits are −1 and 1,
respectively. So f 0 (3) does not exist.

2 1
y = |x − 3| + 2 y = (x − 3) 3 + 2 y = (x − 3) 3 + 2

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Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

4. Find, if any, the horizontal asymptotes of the following functions and use that information
to match them with their graphs on the next page. Each question should have two limit
computations with x → ∞ and x → −∞.
(x + 1)4
(a) f (x) = 4
x + 3x2 + 7x + 10
Solution:
(x+1)4
(x + 1)4 x4
lim f (x) = lim 4 = lim x4 +3x2 +7x+10
x→∞ x→∞ x + 3x2 + 7x + 10 x→∞
x4

x+4 4
x
) 1 + x1 )4 (1 + 0)4
= lim = lim = =1
x→∞ 1 + 32 + 73 + 10
4 3x2
x→∞ x + + 7x + 10 1+0+0+0
x4 x4 x4 x4 x x x4

lim f (x) has the same steps and answer so y = 1 is the horizontal asymptote
x→−∞
on both sides.
x+3
(b) f (x) =
x2 + 8x + 26
Solution:
x+3
x+3 x2
lim f (x) = lim 2
= lim x2 +8x+26
x→∞ x→∞ x + 8x + 26 x→∞
x2
x 3 1 3
x2
+ x2 x
+ x2 0+0
= lim 2 = lim 8 26 = =0
x→∞ x + 8x
+ 26 x→∞ 1+ + 1+0+0
x2 x2 x2 x x2

lim f (x) has the same steps and answer so y = 0 is the horizontal asymptote
x→−∞
on both sides.
x3 + 4x + 9
(c) f (x) =
x2 + 4
Solution:
x3 +4x+9
x3 + 4x + 9 x3
lim f (x) = lim = lim x2 +4
x→∞ x→∞ x2 + 4 x→∞
x3
x3 4x 9 4 9
x3
+ x3
+ x3
1+ x2
+ x3
= lim x2 4
= lim 1 4 =∞
x→∞
x3
+ x3
x→∞
x
+ x3

The other limit has similar steps:

x3 + 4x + 9 1 + x42 + 9
x3
lim = ... = lim 1 = −∞
x→−∞ x2 + 4 x→−∞
x
+ x43

because the denominator now is taking negative values with x → −∞. The
graph of this function has no horizontal asymptotes.

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Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

(d) f (x) = −7x4 + x3 − 12x + 20

Solution:
lim f (x) = lim −7x4 + x3 − 12x + 20 = −∞
x→∞ x→∞

and
lim f (x) = lim −7x4 + x3 − 12x + 20 = −∞
x→−∞ x→−∞

The graph of this function has no horizontal asymptotes.

√
8x2 + 4
(e) f (x) =
x+2
Solution:
√
√ √
8x2 +4 8x 2
√ +4
8x2 + 4 x x2
lim f (x) = lim = lim x+2 = lim x+2
x→∞ x→∞ x+2 x→∞
x
x→∞
x
q q q
8x2 +4 8x2 4
x2 x2
+ x42 8+ x2 √
= lim x+2 = lim x = lim = 8
x→∞
x
x→∞
x
+ x8 x→∞ 1+ 8
x
Now for the next one look carefully to see where the difference in steps is:
√
√ √
8x2 +4 8x 2
√ +4
8x2 + 4 x − x2
lim f (x) = lim = lim x+2 = lim x+2
x→∞ x→∞ x+2 x→∞
x
x→∞
x
q q q
2 8x2 4
− 8xx2+4 x2
+ x42 8+ x2 √
= lim x+2 = − lim x = − lim =− 8
x→∞
x
x→∞
x
+ x8 x→∞ 1+ 8
x
√
When you use x2 = x you have to be careful because
√ it is ONLY true when
2
x ≥ 0! If x < 0 (in this case x → −∞) we have x = −x. Try x = −3, for
example.
√
So this function has two horizontal asymptotes: √
The graph approaches y = 8
on the right as x → ∞ and it approaches y = − 8 on the left as x → −∞.

(f) f (x) = 3ex

Solution:
lim f (x) = lim 3ex = ∞
x→∞ x→∞

and
lim f (x) = lim 3ex = 0
x→−∞ x→−∞

The graph has y = 0 as a horizontal asymptote on the left side only.

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Worksheet Math 124 Week 4

(g) f (x) = 7 − e−x

Solution:
lim f (x) = lim 7 − e−x = 7 − 0 = 7
x→∞ x→∞

and
lim f (x) = lim 7 − e−x = −∞
x→−∞ x→−∞

The graph has y = 7 as a horizontal asymptote on the right side only.

When you match the functions with these graphs, add (if any) horizontal asymptotes to
the pictures.

√
x3 + 4x + 9 8x2 + 4 (x + 1)4
y= y= y = −7x4 + x3 − 12x + 20 y =
x2 + 4 x+2 x4 + 3x2 + 7x + 10

x+3
y = 7 − e−x y = 3ex y=
x2 + 8x + 26

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