Powers and Roots of Limits - At A Glance

Limits are pretty powerful. They're kind of the big idea of calculus. Throughout calculus we'll see that no matter what we're doing, there's a limit or two lurking somewhere.

The purpose of this reading isn't to totally fangirl over limits, though. Instead we'll be talking about what happens when we take a limit involving a function raised to some power. As it turns out, there's a property to help us with this very situation.

Power Property

If   exists, and p is any real number, then

The limit of a function that's being raised to some power is the limit of that function raised to the same power. All there is to it.

Sample Problem

If   then

Got it? Just pull the power out of the limit.

Example 1

What is  if ?


Example 2

What is  if ?


Example 3

What's  if ?


Exercise 1

Evaluate the limit.


Exercise 2

Evaluate the limit. 


Exercise 3

Evaluate the limit. 


Exercise 4

Evaluate the limit. 

  • , assuming that 

Exercise 5

Evaluate the limit.

  • , assuming .

Exercise 6

Find all possible values for the specified limit.

  • , assuming .

Exercise 7

Find all possible values for the specified limit.

  • , assuming .

Exercise 8

Find all possible values for the specified limit.

  • , assuming 

Exercise 9

Find all possible values for the specified limit.

  • , assuming .

Exercise 10

Find all possible values for the specified limit.

  • , assuming