Exercise · ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-004 · ★★☆ Intermediate
Compute \(\lim_{x\to 0}\,\frac{1 - \cos {x}}{x^{2}}\).
Choose one option.
Show answer
- B. \(\frac{1}{2}\)
Explanation
Multiplying by \(1+\cos x\): \(\dfrac{1-\cos x}{x^{2}}=\dfrac{\sin^{2}x}{x^{2}(1+\cos x)}=\left(\dfrac{\sin x}{x}\right)^{2}\dfrac{1}{1+\cos x}\to1\cdot\dfrac{1}{2}=\dfrac{1}{2}\).
Review the concept: Special trigonometric limits
Two basic limits in radians: \(\frac{\sin x}{x}\) tends to \(1\) and \(\frac{1-\cos x}{x}\) tends to \(0\) as \(x\) tends to \(0\).
\[\begin{gathered}\lim_{x\to0}\frac{\sin x}{x}=1\\ \lim_{x\to0}\frac{1-\cos x}{x}=0\end{gathered}\]
More practice problems: special trigonometric limits
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-001 Compute lim _x→ 0 (sin 3 x)/(x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-002 Compute lim _x→ 0 (sin 5 x)/(2 x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-003 Compute lim _x→ 0 (tan 4 x)/(x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-005 Compute lim _x→ 0 (sin 2 x)/(sin 3 x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-006 Compute lim _x→ 0 (sin 7x)/(x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-007 Compute lim _x→ 0 (sin 4x)/(8x).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-008 Compute lim _x→ 0 (1-cos 2x)/(x^2).
- ZW-SPECIAL-TRIG-LIMITS-009 Compute lim _x→ 0 (x)/(sin 3x).