University Calculus: Early Transcendentals (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321999584
ISBN 13: 978-0-32199-958-0

Chapter 3 - Section 3.5 - Derivatives of Trigonometric Functions - Exercises - Page 152: 49

Answer

$$\lim_{\theta\to\pi/6}\frac{\sin\theta-\frac{1}{2}}{\theta-\frac{\pi}{6}}=\frac{\sqrt3}{2}$$

Work Step by Step

$$A=\lim_{\theta\to\pi/6}\frac{\sin\theta-\frac{1}{2}}{\theta-\frac{\pi}{6}}=\lim_{\theta\to\pi/6}\frac{\sin\theta-\sin\frac{\pi}{6}}{\theta-\frac{\pi}{6}}$$ Let a function $f(x)=\sin x$. According to the definition of derivative, we have $$f'(x)=\lim_{z\to x}\frac{\sin z-\sin x}{z-x}=(\sin x)'=\cos x$$ So we take $z=\theta$ and $x=\pi/6$ for the limit in this exercise, we have $$A=\lim_{\theta\to\pi/6}\frac{\sin\theta-\sin\frac{\pi}{6}}{\theta-\frac{\pi}{6}}=\cos\Big(\frac{\pi}{6}\Big)$$ $$A=\frac{\sqrt3}{2}$$
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