MATH 101 Calculus I 14 OCT 2012
MIDTERM EXAM KEY
1. Let f : R → R be defined by f (x) = x2 · |x|
The derivative f ′(x) is
(A) 3x2 except at x = 0, where it is undefined.
(B) 3x2
(C) 3x · |x| except at x = 0, where it is undefined.
(D) 3x · |x|
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: D
For x positive, function is x3 with derivative 3x2
For x negative, function is x2 · −x = −x3 with derivative −3x2
x2|x| − 0
At x = 0, f ′(0) = limx→0 x−0
= limh→0x|x| = 0
So (D) works.
2. Suppose that the function f : R → R is differentiable everywhere on the real
line. Let g: R → R be defined by g(x) = f (f (x)).
Suppose also that f (0) = 0, f ′(0) = 1
Then g ′(0) is
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) cannot be determined from information given
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (B)
d
dx
f [f (x)] = f ′(f (x)) · f ′(x)
When x = 0, f ′(f (0)) · f ′(0) = f ′(0) · f ′(0) = 1 · 1 = 1
3. Let f : R → R be defined by f (x) = −5x + 10. The largest open interval for
which |f (x) − f (−3)| < 1 is given by the inequality
(A) |x + 3| < 1 (B) |x − 3| < 1 (C) |x + 3| < 1/5 (D) |x − 3| < 1/5
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: C
|f (x) − f (−3)| = |−5x + 10 − 25| = |−5x − 15| = 5|x + 3|
1
Then |f (x) − f (−3)| < 1 5|x + 3| < 1 |x + 3| < 1/5
for all reals x 1.
x2 + 1
4. Let f be defined by f (x) = x−1
Then f ′(−1) is
(A) 1/2 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) -1
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (A)
(x − 1)(2x) − (x2 + 1)(1) (−1 − 1)(2 · −1) − ((−1)2 + 1)(1) 4−2 1
f ′(x) = (x − 1)2
so f ′(−1) = (−1 − 1)2
= 4
=2
5. Let f be the function defined by y = cos−1 (x/4) whenever this is defined.
Consider the graph of the function f . Which of the following is an equation of
the tangent line to the graph at the point where x = 0?
(A) y = 1 − x/4 (B) y = π/2 − x/4 (C) y = x/4 (D) y = x
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (B)
When x = 0, y(0) = cos−1 (0/4) = π/2 so the tangent line passes through (0, π/2)
−1 1 1
y ′(x) = p · 4 and so y ′(0) = − 4
1 − x2/16
An eqn for the tangent line is
1
y − π/2 = − 4 (x − 0) or y = π/2 − x/4
6. Let f : (1, 10) → R be defined by f (x) = x3 − 2x + 1. Let g be the inverse
function of f . Then g ′(5) is
(A) 73 (B) 1/73 (C) 10 (D) 1/10
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (D)
f ′(x) = 3x2 − 2. f takes the value 5 at x = 2 and f ′(2) = 3 · 22 − 2 = 10.
1 1
Then g ′(5) = f ′(2) = 10
7. Let f : R → R be defined by
1 for x 2
f (x) =
0 for x = 2
Then limx→2 f (x) is
(A) not defined (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) 2
2
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (C)
As x gets arbitrarily close to 2, without every being 2, the function value is
arbitrarily close to (in fact exactly) 1.
8. Let f : R → R be defined by
|x|/x for x 0
f (x) =
1 for x = 0
Then limx→0 f (x) is
(A) 1 (B) -1 (C) 0 (D) not defined
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (D)
f (x) = 1 for x positive and f (x) = −1 for x negative. So the left limit is -1 and
the right limit is +1. As the directional limits do not agree, the limit is not
define.
9. Let f : R → R be defined by f (x) = sin (x). Consider the graph of f . An
equation of the tangent line to the graph at the point (π, 0) is
(A) −x + π (B) x + π (C) x − π (D) −x − π
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: ill-posed question. All responses recieved a mark.
x2
10. Let the function f be defined by f (x) = x2 − 4 wherever this makes sense.
Consider the graph of f . The tangent line to the graph is horizontal when x is
(A) -2 (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) 2
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (B)
(x2 − 4)(2x) − x2(2x) −8x
f ′(x) = (x2 − 4)2
= (x2 − 4)2
Tangent line horizontal when derivative is zero, so when x = 0.
sin (x2 + 1) − sin (1)
11. limx→0 x
is
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) -1 (D) not defined
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (A)
3
sin (x2 + 1) − sin (1) sin (x2 + 1) − sin (02 + 1)
limx→0 x
= limx→0 x−0
is the derivative at x = 0 of the function f defined by f (x) = sin (x2 + 1)
f ′(x) = cos (x2 + 1) · 2x and so f ′(0) = 0.
t3 − t
12. limt→1 =
t2 − 1
(A) -1 (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) the limit is not defined
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (C)
t3 − t t(t2 − 1)
limt→1 =limt→1 t2 − 1 = limt→1t = 1
t2 − 1
13. Let f : R → R be defined by f (x) = 1 + x + x2 + x3 +
x100 Let g be define by
g(x) = 1/f (x) wherever f (x) 0. Then g ′(0) is
(A) -1 (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) 237
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (A)
f ′(x) = 1 + 2x + 3x2 +
+ 100x99 and so f ′(0) = 1
−f ′(x) −f ′(0) −1
g ′(x) = [f (x)]2
and so g ′(0) = [f (0)]2
= 12
= −1
14. Let f : R → R be defined by f (x) = tan (x10 + 1). Then f ′(0) is
(A) -1 (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) the derivative is not defined
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (B)
f ′(x) = sec2 (x10 + 1) · 10x9 and so f ′(0) = 0
15. The value of sin−1 (π) ( also written as asin(π) ) is
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 1/2 (D) not defined
(E) none of the other choices is correct
Answer: (D)
The sin function never takes the value π so inverse sin of π is not defined.
