Calculus Examples

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{x^{2} - 7 x - 18}{x - 9}$

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.

$\frac{lim_{x \to 9} x^{2} - 7 x - 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2

Evaluate the limit of the numerator.

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Step 1.1.2.1

Split the limit using the Sum of Limits Rule on the limit as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$\frac{lim_{x \to 9} x^{2} - lim_{x \to 9} 7 x - lim_{x \to 9} 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.2

Move the exponent $2$ from $x^{2}$ outside the limit using the Limits Power Rule.

$\frac{{(lim_{x \to 9} x)}^{2} - lim_{x \to 9} 7 x - lim_{x \to 9} 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.3

Move the term $7$ outside of the limit because it is constant with respect to $x$ .

$\frac{{(lim_{x \to 9} x)}^{2} - 7 lim_{x \to 9} x - lim_{x \to 9} 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.4

Evaluate the limit of $18$ which is constant as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$\frac{{(lim_{x \to 9} x)}^{2} - 7 lim_{x \to 9} x - 1 \cdot 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.5

Evaluate the limits by plugging in $9$ for all occurrences of $x$ .

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Step 1.1.2.5.1

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $9$ for $x$ .

$\frac{9^{2} - 7 lim_{x \to 9} x - 1 \cdot 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.5.2

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $9$ for $x$ .

$\frac{9^{2} - 7 \cdot 9 - 1 \cdot 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.6

Simplify the answer.

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Step 1.1.2.6.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 1.1.2.6.1.1

Raise $9$ to the power of $2$ .

$\frac{81 - 7 \cdot 9 - 1 \cdot 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.6.1.2

Multiply $- 7$ by $9$ .

$\frac{81 - 63 - 1 \cdot 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.6.1.3

Multiply $- 1$ by $18$ .

$\frac{81 - 63 - 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.6.2

Subtract $63$ from $81$ .

$\frac{18 - 18}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.2.6.3

Subtract $18$ from $18$ .

$\frac{0}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 9}$

Step 1.1.3

Evaluate the limit of the denominator.

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Step 1.1.3.1

Evaluate the limit.

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Step 1.1.3.1.1

Split the limit using the Sum of Limits Rule on the limit as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$\frac{0}{lim_{x \to 9} x - lim_{x \to 9} 9}$

Step 1.1.3.1.2

Evaluate the limit of $9$ which is constant as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$\frac{0}{lim_{x \to 9} x - 1 \cdot 9}$

Step 1.1.3.2

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $9$ for $x$ .

$\frac{0}{9 - 1 \cdot 9}$

Step 1.1.3.3

Simplify the answer.

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Step 1.1.3.3.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $9$ .

$\frac{0}{9 - 9}$

Step 1.1.3.3.2

Subtract $9$ from $9$ .

$\frac{0}{0}$

Step 1.1.3.3.3

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

Undefined

$\frac{0}{0}$

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.

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{x^{2} - 7 x - 18}{x - 9} = lim_{x \to 9} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2} - 7 x - 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3

Find the derivative of the numerator and denominator.

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Step 1.3.1

Differentiate the numerator and denominator.

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2} - 7 x - 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.2

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $x^{2} - 7 x - 18$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 7 x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 7 x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.3

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 2$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x + \frac{d}{d x} [- 7 x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.4

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [- 7 x]$ .

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Step 1.3.4.1

Since $- 7$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 7 x$ with respect to $x$ is $- 7 \frac{d}{d x} [x]$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7 \frac{d}{d x} [x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.4.2

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

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7 \cdot 1 + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.4.3

Multiply $- 7$ by $1$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7 + \frac{d}{d x} [- 18]}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.5

Since $- 18$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 18$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7 + 0}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.6

Add $2 x - 7$ and $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7}{\frac{d}{d x} [x - 9]}$

Step 1.3.7

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $x - 9$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 9]$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7}{\frac{d}{d x} [x] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 9]}$

Step 1.3.8

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

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7}{1 + \frac{d}{d x} [- 9]}$

Step 1.3.9

Since $- 9$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 9$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7}{1 + 0}$

Step 1.3.10

Add $1$ and $0$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} \frac{2 x - 7}{1}$

Step 1.4

Divide $2 x - 7$ by $1$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} 2 x - 7$

Step 2

Evaluate the limit.

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Step 2.1

Split the limit using the Sum of Limits Rule on the limit as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$lim_{x \to 9} 2 x - lim_{x \to 9} 7$

Step 2.2

Move the term $2$ outside of the limit because it is constant with respect to $x$ .

$2 lim_{x \to 9} x - lim_{x \to 9} 7$

Step 2.3

Evaluate the limit of $7$ which is constant as $x$ approaches $9$ .

$2 lim_{x \to 9} x - 1 \cdot 7$

Step 3

Evaluate the limit of $x$ by plugging in $9$ for $x$ .

$2 \cdot 9 - 1 \cdot 7$

Step 4

Simplify the answer.

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Step 4.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 4.1.1

Multiply $2$ by $9$ .

$18 - 1 \cdot 7$

Step 4.1.2

Multiply $- 1$ by $7$ .

$18 - 7$

Step 4.2

Subtract $7$ from $18$ .

$11$