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Ch. 7 - Transcendental Functions
Hass - Thomas' Calculus 15th Edition
Hass15th EditionThomas' CalculusISBN: 9780137616077Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 7, Problem 7.PE.85

Use l’Hôpital’s Rule to find the limits in Exercises 85–108.
85. lim(x→1) (x² + 3x - 4)/(x - 1)

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First, check if the limit results in an indeterminate form by substituting \(x = 1\) into the expression \(\frac{x^{2} + 3x - 4}{x - 1}\). If both numerator and denominator approach 0, then l'Hôpital's Rule can be applied.
Since direct substitution gives \(\frac{1^{2} + 3(1) - 4}{1 - 1} = \frac{0}{0}\), which is an indeterminate form, proceed with l'Hôpital's Rule.
Apply l'Hôpital's Rule by differentiating the numerator and denominator separately with respect to \(x\). The derivative of the numerator \(x^{2} + 3x - 4\) is \(2x + 3\), and the derivative of the denominator \(x - 1\) is \(1\).
Rewrite the limit using these derivatives: \(\lim_{x \to 1} \frac{2x + 3}{1}\).
Finally, evaluate the new limit by substituting \(x = 1\) into the simplified expression \(\frac{2(1) + 3}{1}\) to find the limit.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Limits and Indeterminate Forms

Limits describe the behavior of a function as the input approaches a certain value. When direct substitution results in an indeterminate form like 0/0, special techniques such as l’Hôpital’s Rule are needed to evaluate the limit.
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l’Hôpital’s Rule

l’Hôpital’s Rule states that if a limit results in an indeterminate form 0/0 or ∞/∞, the limit of the ratio of the functions equals the limit of the ratio of their derivatives, provided this latter limit exists.
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Derivative of Functions

The derivative measures the instantaneous rate of change of a function. To apply l’Hôpital’s Rule, you must differentiate the numerator and denominator separately and then evaluate the new limit.
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Derivatives of Other Trig Functions