1

Properties of limits
1. Let f, g be two functions with lim f (x) = 2 and lim g(x) = 6. Showing all your steps,
xc
xc
simplify the following limits.
(a) lim[8g(x)]
xc

lim[8g(x)] = 8 lim g(x) = 8 6 = 48

xc

xc

(b) lim[5f (x) + 9g(x)]

xc

lim[5f (x) + 9g(x)] = [lim 5f (x)] + [lim 9g(x)]

xc

xc

xc

= [5 lim f (x)] + [9 lim g(x)]

xc

xc

= 5 2 + 9 6 = 10 + 54 = 64


g(x)
(c) lim
xc
22


g(x)
6
3
1
lim
lim g(x) =
=
=
xc
22
22 xc
22
11
(d) lim [f (z)/3 x]
zc

Erratum: The problem should be lim [f (x)/3 x]

xc

lim [f (x)/3 x] =

xc

!!

1
2
lim f (x) lim x = c
xc
xc
3
3

(e) lim [2f (x 2)]

xc+2

lim [2f (x 2)] = 2 lim f (x 2) = 2 lim f (x) = 2 2 = 4

xc+2

xc+2

xc

2. Consider the piecewise function

sin(x) + 1
f (x) =

(x 6)2

if
if
if
if

x < 0,
0 6 x 6 ,
< x < 4,
x > 4.

(a) For each of c = 0, 3, , 4, 5, when does lim f (x) exist and when does it not exist?
xc
Show all your work.
The limits do not exist at c = 0 and c = , since the left- and right-hand limits
do not agree. The limits at c = 3, c = 4, and c = 5 all exist: We have lim f (x) =
x3

sin(3) + 1, lim f (x) = 4, and lim f (x) = 1.

x4

!!

x5

(b) Make all the limits in part (a) exist by adding different numbers to different parts
of the function.
There are many possible solutions. One solution is as follows:

if x < 0,

sin(x) + if 0 6 x 6 ,
f (x) =

x
if < x < 4,

(x 6)2
if x > 4.

3. Consider the position function p(t) = t2 t, where t is time in seconds. Complete the
following table with the appropriate average velocities.
Time interval
Average velocity

[1, 2]
1

[1, 1.5]
1.5

[1, 1.1]
1.1

[1, 1.01]
1.01

[1, 1.001]
1.001

Take a guess as to what the instantaneous velocity will be at t = 1.

Recall that the average velocity from time a to time b is given by
p(b) p(a)
ba
The instantaneous velocity at t = 1 will be 1.

4. On Monday afternoon Olive gets on the Kennedy Expressway at North Avenue and
gets off at Taylor Street, driving a distance of 3 miles on the highway. There is a 60
MPH sign at the Randolph Street exit, which is 2 miles down from the North Avenue
ramp.
(a) On Tuesday she gets a speeding ticket, because video cameras on the highway
indicated that she was on the highway for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. If the
recording is to be trusted, what was her average speed over the 3 mile section?
60 minutes
3 miles

= 72 miles per hour

2.5 minutes
1 hour
(b) On Wednesday Olive goes to court and claims it took her 1 minute and 20 seconds
to drive the first two miles, where the speed limit was 90 MPH, and 1 minute and
10 seconds to drive the third mile. If Olive is to be trusted, what was her average
speed
ii. over the second mile?
i. over the first mile?
Erratum: Should be over the third
Erratum: Should be over the first
mile.
two miles.
1 mile
2 miles 60 minutes
1 hour = 90 miles per hour
601minutes
= 360
miles per hour
4
7
hour
7
minutes
minutes
3
6
51.4 miles per hour
(c) On Thursday the county judge decides that Olive deserves the ticket if her speed
is more than 60 MPH when she passes the sign. Is Olives argument enough to
prove that her speed was not more than 60 MPH when she passed the sign? Why
or why not?
Her argument is not enough. The average speeds do not tell us the instantaneous
speed at the moment Olive passed the sign.