Calculus Examples

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x} - 1}{x^{4}}$

Step 1

Apply L'Hospital's rule.

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Step 1.1

Evaluate the limit of the numerator and the limit of the denominator.

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Step 1.1.1

Take the limit of the numerator and the limit of the denominator.

$\frac{lim_{x \to 0} e^{x} - 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2

Evaluate the limit of the numerator.

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Step 1.1.2.1

Evaluate the limit.

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Step 1.1.2.1.1

Split the limit using the Sum of Limits Rule on the limit as $x$ approaches $0$ .

$\frac{lim_{x \to 0} e^{x} - lim_{x \to 0} 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.1.2

Move the limit into the exponent.

$\frac{e^{lim_{x \to 0} x} - lim_{x \to 0} 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.1.3

Evaluate the limit of $1$ which is constant as $x$ approaches $0$ .

$\frac{e^{lim_{x \to 0} x} - 1 \cdot 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.2

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $0$ for $x$ .

$\frac{e^{0} - 1 \cdot 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.3

Simplify the answer.

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Step 1.1.2.3.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 1.1.2.3.1.1

Anything raised to $0$ is $1$ .

$\frac{1 - 1 \cdot 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.3.1.2

Multiply $- 1$ by $1$ .

$\frac{1 - 1}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.2.3.2

Subtract $1$ from $1$ .

$\frac{0}{lim_{x \to 0} x^{4}}$

Step 1.1.3

Evaluate the limit of the denominator.

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Step 1.1.3.1

Move the exponent $4$ from $x^{4}$ outside the limit using the Limits Power Rule.

$\frac{0}{{(lim_{x \to 0} x)}^{4}}$

Step 1.1.3.2

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $0$ for $x$ .

$\frac{0}{0^{4}}$

Step 1.1.3.3

Raising $0$ to any positive power yields $0$ .

$\frac{0}{0}$

Step 1.1.3.4

The expression contains a division by $0$ . The expression is undefined.

Undefined

$\frac{0}{0}$

Step 1.1.4

The expression contains a division by $0$ . The expression is undefined.

Undefined

$\frac{0}{0}$

Step 1.2

Since $\frac{0}{0}$ is of indeterminate form, apply L'Hospital's Rule. L'Hospital's Rule states that the limit of a quotient of functions is equal to the limit of the quotient of their derivatives.

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x} - 1}{x^{4}} = lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [e^{x} - 1]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3

Find the derivative of the numerator and denominator.

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Step 1.3.1

Differentiate the numerator and denominator.

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [e^{x} - 1]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3.2

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $e^{x} - 1$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [e^{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$ .

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [e^{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3.3

Differentiate using the Exponential Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [a^{x}]$ is $a^{x} \ln (a)$ where $a$ = $e$ .

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x} + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3.4

Since $- 1$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 1$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x} + 0}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3.5

Add $e^{x}$ and $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x}}{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]}$

Step 1.3.6

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 4$ .

$lim_{x \to 0} \frac{e^{x}}{4 x^{3}}$

Step 2

Since the function approaches $- \infty$ from the left and $\infty$ from the right, the limit does not exist.

$Does not exist$