## LIMIT PROPERTIES – Examples of using the 8 properties

I’ve already talked a bit about limits and one-sided limits and how to evaluate them, especially using the graph of the functions. But most limits that you need to evaluate won’t come with a graph and may be challenging to graph. In cases like these, you will want to try applying the 8 basic limit properties.

Using the limit properties is the simplest way to evaluate limits. Therefore, applying limit properties should be a good starting place for most limits. These properties can be applied to two-sided and one-sided limits.

First I will go ahead and list the 8 limit properties then I will show you a handful of examples that show how to apply these limits. These are the same 8 limit properties that are listed on my calculus 1 study guide. If you haven’t already, click here to download my calculus 1 study guide so you can have these limit properties handy as you work through evaluating limits with them.

## What are the 8 limit properties?

$$\mathbf{1. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} c = c}$$

Taking the limit of a constant just results in that constant.

$$\mathbf{2. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} x = a}$$

The limit of the variable alone will go toward the value that the variable is approaching as given in the limit. This is a result of the fact that $$y=x$$ is a continuous function.

$$\mathbf{3. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( cf(x) \Big) = c \cdot \lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x)}$$

Having a constant being multiplied by the entire function within the limit can be pulled out of the limit. This will allow you to evaluate the simpler function, then multiply the result by that constant after evaluating a slightly simpler limit.

$$\mathbf{4. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( f(x) \pm g(x) \Big) = \lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x) \pm \lim\limits_{x \to a} g(x)}$$

The limit of a sum or difference can instead be written as the sum or difference of their individual limits.

$$\mathbf{5. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( f(x) \cdot g(x) \Big) = \lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x) \cdot \lim\limits_{x \to a} g(x)}$$

The limit of a product can instead be written as the product of their individual limits.

$$\mathbf{6. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( \frac{f(x)}{g(x)} \Big) = \frac{\lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x)}{\lim\limits_{x \to a} g(x)}, \ \ if \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} g(x) \neq 0}$$

Taking the limit of a quotient can be rewritten as the quotient of those two limits. Just make sure that the limit of the denominator isn’t zero. If it is, then this will result in dividing by zero, which you can’t do.

$$\mathbf{7. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( f(x) \Big)^n = \Big( \lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x) \Big)^n}$$

Taking the limit of some function raised to a constant power can be rewritten to evaluate the limit of the inner function then raise the result to that constant power.

$$\mathbf{8. \ \ \lim\limits_{x \to a} \Big( \sqrt[\leftroot{-3}\uproot{3}n]{f(x)} \Big) = \sqrt[\leftroot{-3}\uproot{3}n]{\lim\limits_{x \to a} f(x)}}$$

Similar to the last property, but the same can be done with a function that is within a root. This can be applied to any constant root (eg. square root, cube root, etc.)

## How can these limit properties be applied to evaluate limits?

These 8 properties of limits can be used to simplify limits and break them down into smaller pieces. Each of these smaller pieces would be easier to deal with. Then once you evaluate these smaller, simpler limits you can put them all together.

We will go ahead and show how to apply these limit properties with some examples. To the right of each step in parenthesis, I will put a number corresponding to the property from above that was used to get to that step from the previous one. If multiple properties were applied at the same time I will list all properties used in that step in the parenthesis.

#### Example 1

$$\lim_{x \to 5} 6x^4 – 2x + 7$$ $$= \ \lim_{x \to 5} 6x^4 – \lim_{x \to 5} 2x + \lim_{x \to 5} 7 \ \ \ \ (4)$$ $$= \ 6 \lim_{x \to 5} x^4 – 2 \lim_{x \to 5} x + \lim_{x \to 5} 7 \ \ \ \ (3)$$ $$= \ 6 \Big( \lim_{x \to 5} x \Big)^4 – 2 \lim_{x \to 5} x + \lim_{x \to 5} 7 \ \ \ \ (7)$$ $$= \ 6 (5)^4 – 2(5) + 7 \ \ \ \ (1, \ 2)$$ $$= \ 3,747$$

#### Example 2

$$\lim_{x \to 2} \Big( (x+2) \sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{3}3]{x^2 + 7x} \Big)$$ $$= \ \lim_{x \to 2}(x+2) \cdot \lim_{x \to 2}\sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{3}3]{x^2 + 7x} \ \ \ \ (5)$$ $$= \ \Big( \lim_{x \to 2}x+ \lim_{x \to 2}2 \Big) \cdot \lim_{x \to 2}\sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{3}3]{x^2 + 7x} \ \ \ \ (4)$$ $$= \ (2+2) \cdot \lim_{x \to 2}\sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{3}3]{x^2 + 7x} \ \ \ \ (1, \ 2)$$ $$= \ 4 \lim_{x \to 2}\sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{3}3]{x^2 + 7x}$$ $$= \ 4 \sqrt[\leftroot{1}\uproot{3}3]{\lim_{x \to 2} \Big(x^2 + 7x \Big)} \ \ \ \ (8)$$ $$= \ 4 \sqrt[\leftroot{1}\uproot{3}3]{\lim_{x \to 2} x^2 + \lim_{x \to 2} 7x} \ \ \ \ (4)$$ $$= \ 4 \sqrt[\leftroot{1}\uproot{3}3]{\Big( \lim_{x \to 2} x \Big)^2 + 7 \lim_{x \to 2} x} \ \ \ \ (7, \ 3)$$ $$= \ 4 \sqrt[\leftroot{1}\uproot{3}3]{(2)^2 + 7(2)} \ \ \ \ (2)$$ $$= \ 4 \sqrt[\leftroot{-1}\uproot{1}3]{18}$$

#### Example 3

$$\lim_{x \to 4} \frac{x}{28}$$ $$= \ \frac{\lim\limits_{x \to 4} x}{\lim\limits_{x \to 4} 28} \ \ \ \ (6)$$ $$= \ \frac{4}{28} \ \ \ \ (1, \ 2)$$ $$= \ \frac{1}{7}$$

## Conclusion

As you can see, each of these properties can be applied to fairly complex limits to break them down into smaller, simpler pieces. Each will usually end in applying one of the first two properties listed above to convert a limit into some number. And in the end, you will end up converting all of the limits into numbers. At that point, you will be able to manipulate everything with simple algebra to simplify your answer.

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