Question

What is Limit of StartFraction StartRoot x + 1 EndRoot minus 2 Over x minus 3 EndFraction as x approaches 3?

Answer 1

Answer:

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} = \boxed{ \frac{1}{4} }$

General Formulas and Concepts:

Calculus

Limits

Limit Rule [Variable Direct Substitution]:
$\displaystyle \lim_{x \to c} x = c$

Special Limit Rule [L’Hopital’s Rule]:
$\displaystyle \lim_{x \to c} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)} = \lim_{x \to c} \frac{f'(x)}{g'(x)}$

Differentiation

• Derivatives
• Derivative Notation

Derivative Property [Addition/Subtraction]:
$\displaystyle \frac{d}{dx}[f(x) + g(x)] = \frac{d}{dx}[f(x)] + \frac{d}{dx}[g(x)]$
Derivative Rule [Basic Power Rule]:

1. f(x) = cxⁿ
2. f’(x) = c·nxⁿ⁻¹

Derivative Rule [Chain Rule]:
$\displaystyle \frac{d}{dx}[f(g(x))] =f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x)$

Step-by-step explanation:

Step 1: Define

Identify given limit.

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3}$

Step 2: Find Limit

Let's start out by directly evaluating the limit:

1. [Limit] Apply Limit Rule [Variable Direct Substitution]:
   $\displaystyle \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} = \frac{\sqrt{3 + 1} - 2}{3 - 3}$
2. Evaluate:
   $\displaystyle \begin{aligned}\lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} & = \frac{\sqrt{3 + 1} - 2}{3 - 3} \\& = \frac{0}{0} \leftarrow \\\end{aligned}$

When we do evaluate the limit directly, we end up with an indeterminant form. We can now use L' Hopital's Rule to simply the limit:

1. [Limit] Apply Limit Rule [L' Hopital's Rule]:
   $\displaystyle \begin{aligned}\lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} & = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{(\sqrt{x + 1} - 2)'}{(x - 3)'} \\\end{aligned}$
2. [Limit] Differentiate [Derivative Rules and Properties]:
   $\displaystyle \begin{aligned}\lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} & = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{(\sqrt{x + 1} - 2)'}{(x - 3)'} \\& = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{1}{2\sqrt{x + 1}} \leftarrow \\\end{aligned}$
3. [Limit] Apply Limit Rule [Variable Direct Substitution]:
   $\displaystyle \begin{aligned}\lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} & = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{(\sqrt{x + 1} - 2)'}{(x - 3)'} \\& = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{1}{2\sqrt{x + 1}} \\& = \frac{1}{2\sqrt{3 + 1}} \leftarrow \\\end{aligned}$
4. Evaluate:
   $\displaystyle \begin{aligned}\lim_{x \to 3} \frac{\sqrt{x + 1} - 2}{x - 3} & = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{(\sqrt{x + 1} - 2)'}{(x - 3)'} \\& = \lim_{x \to 3} \frac{1}{2\sqrt{x + 1}} \\& = \frac{1}{2\sqrt{3 + 1}} \\& = \boxed{ \frac{1}{4} } \\\end{aligned}$

∴ we have evaluated the given limit.

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Topic: AP Calculus AB/BC (Calculus I/I + II)

Unit: Limits

Answer 2

Without using l'Hopitâl's rule, we can instead rationalize the numerator.

$\dfrac{\sqrt{x+1} - 2}{x-3} = \dfrac{\left(\sqrt{x+1}-2\right)\left(\sqrt{x+1}+2\right)}{(x-3)\left(\sqrt{x+1}+2\right)} = \dfrac{(x+1)-4}{(x-3)\left(\sqrt{x+1}+2\right)} = \dfrac1{\sqrt{x+1}+2}$

We've removed the discontinuity at $x=3$, so the limand is continuous and

$\displaystyle \lim_{x\to3} \frac{\sqrt{x+1}-2}{x-3} = \lim_{x\to3} \frac1{\sqrt{x+1}+2} = \frac1{\sqrt{3+1}+2} = \boxed{\frac14}$