Nanyang Technological University

First Year Common Engineering Course

AY 2009-2010

FE1006 - Mathematics 1
Tutorial 3
Limits and Continuity

1. Find the following limits if they exist. 5. A carpark charges $1.10 per hour or fraction
1 1 of an hour for parking. The maximum charge
− per day is $7.25. Write a formula that gives
(a) Lim x + h x the charge for x hours with 0 ≤ x ≤ 24 and
h →0 h
1 graph the function. At what values of x is it
(b) Lim continuous?
x →0+ x

1− x 6. Suppose that a function f is continuous on the

(c) Lim
x →1 1 − x
closed interval [0, 1] and that 0 ≤ f(x) ≤ 1 for
(2 x − 3)( x − 1) every x in [0, 1]. Show that there must exist a
(d ) Lim number c in [0, 1] such that f(c) = c (c is called
x →1 2x 2 + x − 3
a fixed point of f).
x + 1 − 2x
(e) Lim
x →1 x2 − x 7. Is it true that if you stretch a rubber band by
[Ans: -1/x2, ∞, 1/2, -1/10, -1/(2√2)] moving one end to the right and the other end
to the left, some point of the band will end up
1 − cos( x) in its original position? Give reasons for your
2. Use Sandwich Theorm to find Lim
x →0 x2 answer.
1 x 2
1 − cos( x) 1
given that − ≤ ≤ 8. Is there any reason to believe that there is
2 24 x2 2
[Ans: 1/2] always a pair of antipodal (diametrically
opposite) points on Earth’s equator where the
3. Estimate the limits at x = 0, 1, 2 and 3 from temperatures are the same? Explain.
the following graph. Is the function (Hint: Use the Intermediate Value Theorem.)
continuous at x = 2? Explain.
9. Which of the following statements are true,
[Ans: 1, ×, 0, 1, No]
and which are false? If true, say why; if false,
2 give a counter example (that is, an example
confirming the falsehood).
(a) If limx→a f(x) exists but limx→a g(x) does
f(x)

1 not exist, then limx→a (f(x) + g(x)) does not

exist.
0 (b) If neither limx→a f(x) nor limx→a g(x) exists,
0 1 2 3 then limx→a (f(x) + g(x)) does not exist.
(c) If f is continuous at x, then so is |f|.
x
(d) if |f| is continuous at a, then so is f.

4. Is the following function continuous? Explain. 10. A train accelerates from a standstill to a
⎧1 if x < 0 maximum cruising speed, then slows to pass
⎪ through a town at constand speed. After
f ( x) = ⎨ 1 − x 2 if 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
⎪x − 1 passing through the town the train accelerates
⎩ if x > 1
to cruising speed. Finally, the train
decelerates smoothly to a stop as it reaches its
destination. Sketch a possible graph of the
distance the train has traveled as a function of
time.
FE1006 Mathematics 1 AY 2009 - 2010 / FTC
 Nanyang Technological University
First Year Common Engineering Course
AY 2009-2010

FE1006 - Mathematics 1
Tutorial 4
Derivatives

1. Use the definition of the derivative to find 7. A 1.3m ladder is leaning against a house when
the first derivative of f if its base starts to slide away. By the time the
(a) f(x) = x2 - 3x - 4 base is 1.2m from the house, the base is
(b) f(x) = 2x + 1/(3x) moving at the rate of 0.5m/sec.
(c) f(x) = x − 4 (a) How fast is the top of the ladder sliding
down the wall then?
2. Find dy/dx of the following functions: (b) At what rate is the angle between the
(a) y = x cos(5x) ladder and the ground changing then?
(b) y = sec(tan(x)) [Ans: -1.2, -1]
(c) y = (2 sin(x) + 5x2)2

3. Find dy/dx in the following problems

(a) x2 - y2 = xy 13m ladder
(b) x1/2 + y1/2 = a1/2
(c) xy = 1
(d) y = (1 − x) /(1 + x 2 )

4. Find d2y/dx2 at the given points 8. A highway patrol plane flies 3mi above a
(a) x3 + y3 = 16 at (2,2) level, straight road at a steady 120mi/h. The
(a) xy + y2 = 1 at (0,-1) pilot sees an oncoming car and with radar
[Ans:-2,-1/4] determines that at the instant the line-of-sight
distance from plane to car is 5mi, the line-of-
5. Water is flowing at the rate of 6m3/min from a sight distance is decreasing at the rate of
reservoir shaped liked a hemispherical bowl of 160mi/h. Find the car’s speed along the
radius 13m. Answer the following questions highway.
given that the volume of water in a [Ans: 80mi/h]
hemispherical bowl of radius R is V = πy2(3R-
y)/3 when the water is y meters deep. 9. (a) Use simple algebra to show that for every
(a) At what rate is the water level changing value of x,
when water is 8m deep? 1 x 1
− ≤ ≤
(b) What is the radius r of the water’s surface 2 1+ x 2
2
when the water is y m deep? (b) Let f be a function whose derivative f ' is
(c) At what rate is the radius r changing when x
defined by f ' ( x) =
the water is 8m deep? 1+ x2
[Ans: -0.0133 m/min, √(26y-y2),-0.00553 m/min] Use the result in (a) and Mean Value
Theorem to show that
6. A man 6ft tall walks at the rate of 5ft/sec |f(b) - f(a)| ≤ |b-a|/2
toward a streetlight that is 16 ft above the
ground. At what rate is the tip of his shadow 10. (a) Find the value of b that will ensure that the
moving? At what rate is the length of his function y= 2x3 + bx + c has a local
shadow changing? minimum value at x=1.
[Ans: -8, -3] (b) Why will no value of b make y= 2x3 + bx
+ c having a local maximum value at x=1?
[Ans:-6]

FE1006 Mathematics 1 AY 2009 - 2010 / FTC

 Nanyang Technological University
First Year Common Engineering Course
AY 2009-2010

FE1006 - Mathematics 1
Tutorial 5
Applications of Derivatives

1. Find the linear approximation of the following 7. A picture is to be drawn on a piece of

functions at the given point rectangular paper with 0.5 cm margins on the
(a) f(x) = x2 + 2x, x0 = 0 sides and 1 cm margins at top and bottom. In
(b) f(x) = x/(x+1), x0 = 1.3 addition, the area of the paper is to be 50cm2
only. Find (i) the maximum area of the
2. The radius of a tree was 10 in. During the picture and (ii) the corresponding dimensions
following year, the circumference grew 2 in. of the paper.
Use differential calculus to estimate the [Ans: 32, 5, 10]
changes in the tree's radius and corss-sectional
area? 8. Find the maximum area of a rectangle that can
[Ans:1/π, 20] be fitted in the region bounded by the curve y2
= 4x and the vertical line x = 1.
3. Use Newton’s method to find, correct to 3 3
y
decimal places, the root of the equation cos(x) x=1
= x. 2
y2=4x
[Ans: 0.739]
1

4. Find the critical points, asymptotes, and points

of inflection and sketch the following curves: 0
x
0 1.2

x
(a) y = 2
x +1 -

x3 − 2
(b) y = -

( x − 1) 2
( x − 4)( x − 2)
(c) y =
-

x −1 [Ans:
8/(3√3)]
5. The sum of two non-negative numbers is 20.
Find the numbers 9. Use L'Hopital Rule (or some other methods) to
(a) if the sum of their squares is to be as large evaluate the following limits
as possible;
(b) if the product of the square of one number 2 sin(5 x)
(a ) Lim (b) Lim sin(5 x) cot(3 x)
and the cube of the other is as large as x →0 3x x →0
possible; 2
(c) Lim xcsc ( 2 x ) (d ) Lim sec( x) − tan( x)
(c) if one number plus the square root of the x →0 x →π 2

other is as large as possible. x − sin( x) sin( x 2 )

[Ans: 0&20, 12&8, 0.25&19.75] (e) Lim ( f ) Lim
x →0 x − tan( x) x →0 x sin( x)
6. A right circular thinned walled cylinder is to sec( x) − 1 x3 − 8
( g ) Lim ( h ) Lim
hold 1000 mm3 of oil. Suppose that the x →0 x2 x →2 x 2 − 4

bottom and top are twice as thick as the sides. [Ans: 10/3, 5/3, 1/2, 0, -1/2, 1, 1/2, 3]
Find the dimensions of the can that will use
the least material?
[Ans: R = 4.3, L = 17.2]

FE1006 Mathematics 1 AY 2009 - 2010 / FTC