Question

"TexFormula1" title="\sf \lim_{x \to \infty} \cfrac{\sqrt{x-1}-2x }{x-7}" alt="\sf \lim_{x \to \infty} \cfrac{\sqrt{x-1}-2x }{x-7}" align="absmiddle" class="latex-formula">

Answer 1

Answer:  -2

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Work Shown:

$\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \sqrt{x-1}-2x }{ x-7 }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \frac{1}{x}\left(\sqrt{x-1}-2x\right) }{ \frac{1}{x}\left(x-7\right) }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \frac{1}{x}*\sqrt{x-1}-\frac{1}{x}*2x }{ \frac{1}{x}*x-\frac{1}{x}*7 }$

$\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \sqrt{\frac{1}{x^2}}*\sqrt{x-1}-2 }{ 1-\frac{7}{x} }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \sqrt{\frac{1}{x^2}*(x-1)}-2 }{ 1-\frac{7}{x} }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \sqrt{\frac{1}{x}-\frac{1}{x^2}}-2 }{ 1-\frac{7}{x} }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \frac{ \sqrt{0-0}-2 }{ 1-0 }\\\\\\\displaystyle L = \frac{-2}{1}\\\\\\\displaystyle L = -2$

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Explanation:

In the second step, I multiplied top and bottom by 1/x. This divides every term by x. Doing this leaves us with various inner fractions that have the variable in the denominator. Those inner fractions approach 0 as x approaches infinity.

I'm using the rule that

$\displaystyle \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{1}{x^k} = 0$

where k is some positive real number constant.

Using that rule will simplify the expression greatly to leave us with -2/1 or simply -2 as the answer.

In a sense, the leading terms of the numerator and denominator are -2x and x respectively. They are the largest terms for each, so to speak. As x gets larger, the influence that -2x and x have will greatly diminish the influence of the other terms.

This effectively means,

$\displaystyle L = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ \sqrt{x-1}-2x }{ x-7 } = \lim_{x\to\infty} \frac{ -2x }{ x} = -2$

I recommend making a table of values to see what's going on. Or you can graph the given function to see that it slowly approaches y = -2. Keep in mind that it won't actually reach y = -2 itself.