How do you find the limit of (1-cosx) / x as x approaches 0?

2 Answers
Oct 3, 2016

0

Explanation:

1-cosx=2sin^2(x/2) so

(1-cos x)/x=(x/4) (sin(x/2)/(x/2))^2 then

lim_(x->0)(1-cos x)/x equiv lim_(x->0)(x/4) (sin(x/2)/(x/2))^2 = 0 cdot 1 = 0

Oct 3, 2016

Multiply by (1+cosx)/(1+cosx) to get

(1-cos^2x)/(x(1+cosx)) = (sin^2x)/(x(1+cosx))

= sinx * sinx/x * 1/(1+cosx)

Taking the limit as xrarr0 gives

(0)(1)(1/2) = 0