Question #42f36

2 Answers
Feb 6, 2018

The limit exists and is equal to 0

Explanation:

Put x=3 to find f(3)
f(3)=#3^2-6*3+3#= -6

Given expression is
#(x^2-6x+3 - (-6))/(x-3)#

#(x^2-6x+3 +6)/(x-3)#

#(x^2-6x+9)/(x-3)#

or #(x-3)^2/(x-3)#

Clearly the function isn't defined for x=3 we get 0/0 indeterminate form .

For Right hand limit put x=3+h where h--->0 (h tends to 0)

#(3+h-3)^2/(3+h-3)#
or #h^2/h# [we can easily divide these 'cause h isn't 0 but tends to 0]
or #h#
thus RHL=0 [since h-->0}

Similarly for Left hand limit put x=3-h where h--->0

#(3-h-3)^2/(3-h-3)#
or #h^2/ -h#
or #-h#
thus LHL=0

Since RHL=LHL=0 the limit exists and is equal to 0

Feb 7, 2018

#lim_(x->3)(f(x)-f(3))/(x-3)=0#

Explanation:

All right. We have: #lim_(x->3)(f(x)-f(3))/(x-3)#

hmm... let's use another variable, #h# where it equals #x-3#

We have: #lim_(x->3)(f(x)-f(3))/h#

Now, let's use substitution.
We get: #(f(3)-f(3))/0#
Note that #h=x-3#, so when #x=3#, we have #h=3-3=>0#

Since #h# becomes zero when #x=3#, we can say that #f(3)=f(3+h)#

Therefore, we have: #(f(3)-f(3))/0=>(f(3+0)-f(3))/0#

Let's rewrite our original problem.

#lim_(x->3)(f(x)-f(3))/(x-3)=>lim_(x->3)(f(x+h)-f(3))/(h)#

When we plug #3# in the place of #h#, we get:
#(f(3+0)-f(3))/(0)#
hmm... this looks similar to our definition of a derivative:

#lim_(h->0)((f(x+h)-f(x))/h)#

Our limit is there fore asking us, what is the instantaneous rate of change of #f(x)# when #x=3#, or what is #f'(3)#?

Let's find #f'(x)#.

We use the power rule, which states that #d/dx(x^n)=nx^(n-1)# where #n# is a constant.

We have: #f'(x)=2x^(2-1)-6x^(1-1)+3*0x^(0-1)#

=>#f'(x)=2x-6# We can now find #f'(3)#

=>#f'(3)=2*3-6#

=>#f'(3)=0#

That is our answer!