Chapter 1: Problem 8
Estimating a Limit Numerically In Exercises \(5-10\) , complete the table and use the result to estimate the limit. Use a graphing utility to graph the function to confirm your result. $$\lim _{x \rightarrow 0} \frac{\sqrt{x+1}-1}{x}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The limit of the function as \(x\) approaches 0 is \(0.5\).
Step by step solution
01
Rationalize the Numerator
Multiply the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of \(\sqrt{x+1}-1\), which is \(\sqrt{x+1}+1\), in order to rationalize the numerator. Doing so results in the expression: \(\frac{(\sqrt{x+1}-1)(\sqrt{x+1}+1)}{x(\sqrt{x+1}+1)}\).
02
Simplify the Expression
Simplify the expression \((\sqrt{x+1}-1)(\sqrt{x+1}+1)\) into \(x+1-1\), which equals \(x\). The new function becomes \(\frac{x}{x(\sqrt{x+1}+1)}.\)
03
Further Simplification
Divide \(x\) by \(x\) in the new function to simplify the numerator to \(1\), resulting in: \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{x+1}+1}\).
04
Evaluate the Limit
Finally, plug in \(x = 0\) into the simplified function \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{x+1}+1}\) and we get that the limit is \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}+1} = \frac{1}{2}\).
05
Graph and Confirm
Graph the original function and verify that it approaches the limit as x approaches 0.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Numerical Estimation
Numerical estimation in calculus involves predicting the limit of a function as it approaches a specific point through calculated approximations. For our example, we first use a table of values. As we choose values of \(x\) that get increasingly close to zero from both the left and the right, we will notice a pattern in the results of our function, \(\frac{\sqrt{x+1}-1}{x}\).
- Choose values like \(x = -0.1, -0.01, 0.01, 0.1\) and so on.
- Substitute into the function and calculate the output.
- Observe how these outputs behave as \(x\) approaches zero.
Rationalizing the Numerator
Rationalizing deals with simplifying a fraction to remove radicals from the numerator. For our limit problem \(\lim_{x \rightarrow 0} \frac{\sqrt{x+1}-1}{x}\), the radical is in the numerator. This can make direct limit calculation difficult.To rationalize:
- Multiply the numerator \(\sqrt{x+1}-1\) by its conjugate \(\sqrt{x+1}+1\).
- Also multiply the denominator by this conjugate to keep the fraction unchanged.
Graphing Functions
Graphing provides a visual comprehension of a function's behavior as it approaches a certain point, such as the limit \(\lim_{x \rightarrow 0} \frac{\sqrt{x+1}-1}{x}\). By using graphing tools:
- Firstly, plot the function over a range that surrounds the point of interest, \(x = 0\).
- Examine how the graph behaves as \(x\) nears the specific value.
Evaluating Limits
Evaluating limits involves finding the value that a function approaches as the input gets arbitrarily close to a given point. The function \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{x+1}+1}\) resulted from simplifying the original problem and can be evaluated directly at \(x = 0\) without any undefined expressions.Through substitution:
- Insert \(x = 0\) into the simplified function.
- Calculate the expression \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{0+1}+1} = \frac{1}{2}\).