THE GAMBIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY (USET)

College of Engineering

Lecturer: Mr. A. HYDARA Practice Problems 2

Course: Calculus 1 March 28, 2024

Instruction: Attenpt all questions.

1. Guess the value of the limit (if it exists) by evaluating the function at the given numbers
(correct to six decimal places).

x2 − 2x
lim , x = 2.5, 2.1, 2.05, 2.01, 2.005, 2.001, 1.9, 1.95, 1.99, 1.995, 1.999
x→2 x2 − x − 2

2. Let
(x + 6)
G(x) =
x2 + 4x − 12
(a) Make a table of the values of G at x = −5.9, −5.99, −5.999, and so on. Then estimate
What estimate lim G(x). What estimate do you arrive at if you evaluate G at x =
x→−6
−6.1, −6.01, −6.001, .... instead?
(b) Find lim G(x) algebraically.
x→−6

3. For the function whose graph is given, state the value of each quantity, if it exists. If it does
not exist, explain why

(a) lim− g(t) (c) lim g(t) (e) lim+ g(t) (g) g(2)
t→0 t→0 t→2

(b) lim+ g(t) (d) lim− g(t) (f) lim g(t) (h) lim g(t)
t→0 t→2 t→2 t→4

4. Evaluate the limit, if it exists

(a) lim t2 + 5t + 1 t2 − 4 |x|

t→2 (d) lim (g) lim−
t→2 t − 2 x→0 2x
3
(b) lim (t2 + 1) (t + 3)5 √
2x + 12
t→−1 (e) lim x+2−3
x−7 (h) lim
x→7
x2 + x − 6 x→−6 | x + 6 |
(c) lim (h + 4)2 − 16
x→2 x−2 (f) lim
h→0 h
1
 5. If 4x − 9 ≤ f (x) ≤ x2 − 4x + 7 for x ≥ 0, find lim f (x)
t→4
tan 3x x +5
3
2 sin(3x)
6. (a) lim (d) lim √ (h) lim
x→0 sin 8x x→∞ x3 + 4 x→∞ x
√  
(e) lim ( x2 + 3 + x) 1
tan t sec 2t x→−∞ (i) lim cos
(b) lim x→∞ x
t→0 3t 4x3 − 5x2 − 4x
(f) lim (j) lim ln (2x + 1) − ln(x)
x→∞ 10 − 8x − 2x3 x→∞
√ √ 
2+x− 2−x cot(θ) sin 4x
(c) lim cos (g) limπ (k) lim
x→0 x θ→ 2 csc(θ) x→0 sin 6x

x2 − 64
7. Explain why the function f (x) = is discontinuous at x = −8.
x+8
8. Let 
7x − 8 if x ≤ 3
f (x) = 2 (1)
 if x ≥ 3
x+4
Show that f (x) has a jump discontinuity at x = 3 by calculating the limits from the left and
right at x = 3.

9. Determine the value of parameter α for which function

(
(x − α)2 if x ≤ 1
h(x) = x
(2)
2 −1 if x ≥ 1

is continuous for all x ∈ R

10. Consider the function (

2x2 + 3 if x ≤ 3
g(x) = (3)
3x + B if x ≥ 3
Find a value of B such that g(x) is continuous at x = 3.

11. let √
 −x
 if x ≤ 0
f (x) = 3 − x if 0 ≤ x < 3 (4)
(x − 3)2

if x > 3


(a) Evaluate each limit, if it exists.

i. lim+ f (x) iii. lim f (x) v. lim+ f (x)

x→0 x→0 x→3
ii. lim− f (x) iv. lim− f (x) vi. lim f (x)
x→0 x→3 x→3

(b) Where is f discontinuous?

(c) Sketch the graph of f .

2
12. Find the first and second derivatives

(a) s = 5t3 − 3t5 (c) f = 4x3 + 3x2 − x √

1
(e) x+ √
x
4x3 4 2 √ √ 2
(b) y = − x + 2ex (d) y = 7 + − 2 (f) x + 3 x +
3 x x x

13. Differentiate the following by applying the Product Rule

3
(a) (3 − x2 ) (x3 − x + 1) (c) (1 + x2 )(x 4 − x−3 ) (e) sin x tan x
x2 3 +2x
(b) (3x − 5)(x2 + 2x) (d) x3 e (f) e3x sin x

14. Differentiate the following wrt x by applying the Quotient Rule

3x − 2 2x4 x sin x
(a) (d) (g)
2x + 3 a2 − x 2 x2 − 1
x2 4 − 3x 3x + tan x
(b) 2 (e) (h)
x −4 3x2 + x x sec x
√ √ √
x+1 x− x 1 + 3x
(c) √ (f) (i)
x−1 1
x3 4x

15. (a) Use the Quotient Rule to differentiate the function

tan x − 1
f (x) =
sec x

(b) Simplify the expression for f (x) by writing it in terms of sin x and cos x, and then find
f ′ (x).
(c) Show that your answers to parts (a) and (b) are equivalent.
d
16. Prove that (cot x) = − csc2 x
dx
17. Differentiate the following

18. (a) f (x) = 3x2 − 2 cos x (e) g(x) = t3 cos x sin x

√ (h) f (x) =
(b) f (x) = x sin x x2
1 + sin x
(f) f (x) =
(c) f (x) = 2 csc x + 5 cos x x + cos x
1
(d) g(x) = 4 sec t + tan t (g) h(θ) = θ csc θ − cot θ (i) f (x) = sin x + cot x
2

19. Find the derivative of the function.

5 3
(a) F (x) = (x4 + 3x2 − 2) x2 + 1

100 (f) y =
(b) f (x) = (4x − x2 ) x2 − 1
2
(c) f (x) = (1 + x4 ) 3 (g) h(x) = cos4 sin3 x


1 √
(d) g(t) = (h) f (x) = x sin x
(t + 1)3
4
8
(e) g(x) = (1 + 4x)5 (3 + x − x2 ) (i) y = tan2 (3θ)

3
20. Suppose that f (5) = 1, f ′ (5) = 6, g(5) = −3 and g ′ (5) = 2 Find the following values.

(a) (f g)′ (5)

(b) (f /g)′ (5)
(c) (g/f )′ (5)

21. Find an equation of the tangent line to the curve y = 2x sin x at the point (π/2, π)

22. Find the equation of the tangent and normal to the curve

y = x3 − 3x2 − x + 5

at the point where x = 3.

23. Find the points on the curve y = 12x − x3 at which the slope is zero.

24. A particle moves in a straight line in such a way that its distance S metres from a fixed point
O after time t seconds is given by
S = t3 − 2t2 + 12
Calculate

(a) The Velocity after 2 seconds

(b) The average acceleration from t = 1 to t = 3
(c) When and where the particle is momentarily at rest.

25. A soccer ball is kicked into the air so that the path of its flight can be modeled by the function,
where t is in seconds and X is in meters above the ground:

X(t) = −4.9t2 + 9.8t + 5

(a) At what time will the ball land?

(b) How many meters above ground was the ball kicked?
(c) What is the maximum height the ball will reach and at what time will this occur?
(d) What is the acceleration (with direction) of the ball at t = 3s?