Calculus 10th Edition

Published by Brooks Cole
ISBN 10: 1-28505-709-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-28505-709-5

Chapter 1 - Limits and Their Properties - 1.2 Exercises - Page 57: 53

Answer

Domain at $$\{x\mid x\neq 9\}$$ Undefined point, or hole, at $$(9,6)$$

Work Step by Step

First off, the general function for this equation is $$f(x)=\frac{x-9}{\sqrt{x}-3}$$ Since the limit is when "x is approaching 9", which can be written as $$\underset{x\rightarrow 9}{\lim}$$ that would mean that there will be an undefined point at $(9,y)$ since $\sqrt{9}-3=3-3=0$ and anything with a denominator of $0$ is undefined. So, since the function at the given limit is going to be undefined, then the first we can do is rationalize the numerator, which means you can multiply by $\sqrt{x}+3$, which is the conjugate of $\sqrt{x}-3$, which can be written as the following: $$\begin{matrix} \frac{x-9}{\sqrt{x}-3}\\\\ =\frac{\left(x-9\right)\left(\sqrt{x}+3\right)}{\left(\sqrt{x}-3\right)\left(\sqrt{x}+3\right)}\\\\ =\frac{\left(x-9\right)\left(\sqrt{x}+3\right)}{\left(\sqrt{x}\right)^2-3^2}\\\\ =\frac{\left(x-9\right)\left(\sqrt{x}+3\right)}{x-9}\\\\ =\frac{\left(1\right)\left(\sqrt{x}+3\right)}{1}\\\\ =\sqrt{x}+3 \end{matrix}$$ Now, onto the plug and play with the limitation of $$\sqrt{x}+3$$ Since the limit is when "x is approaching 9", which also means $x=9$, this means the following: $$\begin{matrix} _{x\rightarrow 9}^{\lim}\textrm{f(x)}&=\sqrt{(9)}+3\\ &=\sqrt{9}+3\\ &=3+3\\ &=6\\ \end{matrix}$$ Since the limit has an undefined point at $(9,y)$ and $_{x\rightarrow 9}^{\lim}\textrm{f(x)}=6$, which means that the (official) undefined point, or hole, at $$(9,6)$$ with the graph plotted down below. So, since the domain is how the $x$-values range from left to right, and since $(9,6)$ is the undefined point, that would means that the domain would be all real numbers from $x\ge 0$ with the exception of at $x=9$, which can the written as the following: $$\{x\mid x\neq 9\}$$
Update this answer!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this answer.

Update this answer

After you claim an answer you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.