MATHEMATICS 203/4 Sample Midterm Test Solutions
Total: 40 marks
1. (5 marks) (a) Solve for x and explain how you got the solution (getting the answer
with a calculator is not an acceptable solution).
(i) ln (x) = 1 (ii) 2x 4
=8
p
(b) Let f (x) = 3 x; g (x) = 4 x2 : Find the following functions and
their domains:
(i) f g (ii) g f
Solution (a) (i)
ln (x) = 1 ) eln(x) = e 1
but eln(x) = x because ln (x) and ex are inverse functions, so
x=e 1
(ii)
2x 4 = 8 = 23 and so
x 4=3
x=7
(b) The domain of f is given by 3 x 0 ; i.e. x 3 The domain of g is
consists of all real numbers, i.e. ( 1; 1) or R. Now for (i) we have
p
f g (x) = f (g (x)) = 3 g (x)
p p
= 3 (4 x2 ) = x2 1
Since the quantity under the root sign can’t be negative, this means x2 1 0
or jxj 1; which means x 1 or x 1: Therefore the domain of f g is just
( 1; 1] [ [1; 1) in interval notation: For (ii) we have
g f (x) = 4 (f (x))2 = 4 (3 x) = 1 + x
For the domain it is not correct to say that this is de…ned for all real numbers,
so the domain is R: We also need x in the domain of f; i.e. x 3: So that is the
domain. In interval notation it is ( 1; 3]:
2. (4 marks) (a) Let f (x) = x + cos ( x) Find the average rate of change of f (x) (i)
over the interval [0; 1=2]; (ii) over the interval [ 1; 1];:
(b) Evaluate the following limits:
3 t 2x 2 + 3x 4
(i) lim p (ii) lim
t!3 5 t2 + 16 x!1 5x 1 x 3
f (b) f (a)
Solution (a) The average rate of change of f (x) over the interval [a; b] is
b a
so (i)
1=2 + cos ( =2) (0 + cos (0)) 1=2 (1)
= = 1
1=2 0 1=2
(ii)
1 + cos ( ) ( 1 + cos ( ( 2) )) 0
=1 =
1 ( 1) 2
p
3 t 3 t 5 + t2 + 16
(b) (i) lim p = lim p p
t!3 5 t2 + 16 t!3 5 t2 + 16 5 +p t2 + 16
3 t p 5 + t2 + 16 5
= lim 5 + t2 + 16 = lim =
t!3 (3 t) (3 + t) t!3 (3 + t) 3
2x 2 + 3x 4
2x 1 + 3x 3
0
(ii) lim = lim = =0
x!1 5x 1 x 3 x!1 5 x 2 5
1
3. (6 marks) Find the following limits for the function f (x) = : Explain
(x 1) (x + 2)
your answers in a sentence or two.
(a) lim f (x) (b) lim f (x)
x! 2 x!0
(c) lim+ f (x) (d) lim f (x)
x!1 x!1
(e) The equations of all asymptotes
1 1 1 1
Solution (a) limx! 2 f (x) = limx! 2 limx! = 2 limx! 2 =
(x 1) (x + 2) 3 (x + 2)
+1 [x ! 2 means we approach 2 from the left] because the graph
1
of near and to the left of 2 goes as far as you please below the
(x + 2)
2
x axis (x = 2 is a vertical asymptote) but when we multiply by the
1
negative number the graph is re‡ected in the x axis and goes as far as
3
you please above the x axis. (b) limx!0 f (x) = f (0) = 1=2 because by
the limit laws, since the denominator is not zero, f is continuous at 0; (c)
1 1 1 1
limx!1+ f (x) = limx!1+ limx!1+ = limx!1+ =
(x 1) (x + 2) 3 (x 1)
+1 [x ! 1+ means we approach 1 from the right] because this shows that
the graph of f near and to the right of 1 goes as far as you please above
the x axis; (d) from the equation, limx!1 f (x) = 0 because after dividing
numerator and denominator by x2 we get
1=x2
f (x) =
1 + 1=x 2=x2
and the numerator ! 0 while the denominator ! 1; so the limit is 0; (e)
the vertical asymptotes have already been identi…ed: x = 2 and x = 1:
y = 0 (the x axis) is a horizontal asymptote because of (d).
4. (5 marks) Find the numbers a and b so that the function f (x) is continuous.
8 1
>
< if x < 0
f (x) = x 1
> ax +b if 0 x<1
:
x if 1 x
(it may help to sketch the graph).
1
Solution Put x = 0 : f (0) = 0 a + b = b and also lim f (x) = lim = 1
x!0 x!0 x 1
1
because is a continuous function at 0. Since these must be equal, b =
x 1
1: Now consider x = 1: f (1) = 1 and also lim f (x) = lim (ax 1) =
x!1 x!1
a 1: Since these must be equal, a 1 = 1 and so a = 2:
3
2
y
-2 -1 1 2
x
-1
dy
5. (12 marks) For each of the following …nd (show all steps and do not simplify your
dx
answer):
p
x2 + 2x3=2 5 x
(a) y = p
x
(b) y = ex (x + 7)8
2
(c) y = cos (x2 tan x)
p p
(d) y = 1 + x + x2
p
x2 + 2x3=2 5 x
Solution (a) First write y = p = x3=2 + 2x 5: Now it is very easy
x
dy
to di¤erentiate: = 32 x1=2 + 2 (power rule)
dx
dy
= 2xex (x + 7)8 + ex 8 (x + 7)7 (product, chain rules). Note that
2 2
(b)
dx
2
ex 6= (ex )2 ; which is e2x : For example, e3 = 8103: 1 but (e3 ) = 403: 43
2 2
dy dy dv
(c) Put y = cos (u) and u = x2 tan x Then = = sin u
dx du dx
(2x sec2 x) = sin (x2 tan x) (2x sec2 x) (chain rule)
dy dy du dv
(d) Write y = u1=2 and u = 1+v 1=2 where v = x+x2 : Then = =
dx du dv dx
1 1 1
2
u 1=2 21 v 1=2 (1 + 2x) = p p p (1 + 2x) (chain rule)
2 1 + x + x2 2 x + x2
4
1
6. (8 marks) Let g(x) = 1 + p .
x
(a) Use the de…nition of the derivative :
g(x + h) g(x)
g 0 (x) = lim
h!0 h
to …nd g 0 (4)
(b) Check that your answer is correct by using the appropriate di¤erentia-
tion rule(s) to …nd g 0 (x); and then substituting x = 4:
(c) Find the equation of the tangent line T (x) to the graph of g(x) at
(4; 3=2)
Solution (a)
1 1
1+ p 1+ p
g(4 + h) g(4) 4+h 4
lim = lim
h!0 h h!0 h
1 1
p p
4+h 4
= lim
h!0
p ph p p
4 4+h 4+ 4+h
= lim p p p p
h!0 h 4 4 + h 4+ 4+h
4 (4 + h) 1
= lim p p
h!0 h 2 4 + h 2 + 4+h
h 1
= lim p p
h!0 h 2 4 + h 2 + 4+h
1 1
lim p p
h!0 2 4 + h 2 + 4+h
1
= p p
2 limh!0 4 + h limh!0 4 + h + 2
1 1 3=2
= 3 = 4
2 (2) 2
5
or, one can do it by using x instead of 4 and substituting at the end:
1 1
1+ p 1+ p
g(x + h) g(x) x+h x
lim = lim
h!0 h h!0 h
1 1
p p
x+h x
= lim
h!0 h
p p
p p
x x+h x+ x+h
= lim p p p p
h!0 h x x + h x+ x+h
x (x + h) 1
= lim p p p p
h!0 h x x+h x+ x+h
h 1
= lim p p p p
h!0 h x x+h x+ x+h
1 1
lim p p p p
h!0 x x+h x+ x+h
1
=p p p p
x limh!0 x + h limh!0 x + h + x
1 1 3=2
= p 3 = 4 when x = 4
2 ( x) 2
1=2 1
(b) As a check we see that g (x) = 1 + x and so g 0 (x) = 0 2
x 3=2 :
Therefore g 0 (4) = 21 4 3=2 = 1=16
(c) An equation of the tangent line is
1
y 3=2 = (x 4) ; or
16
1 7
y= x+
16 4
