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Evaluating a limit by rationalizing the numerator

Evaluate the limit lim⁡x→0x+6−6−xx.\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sqrt{x+6} - \sqrt{6-x}}{x}.

Hint

Direct substitution gives 0/00/0. Multiply the numerator and denominator by the conjugate x+6+6−x\sqrt{x+6} + \sqrt{6-x} to simplify the numerator using the difference of squares.

Step-by-step solution

Direct substitution gives 6−60=00\frac{\sqrt{6}-\sqrt{6}}{0} = \frac{0}{0}, an indeterminate form, so we cannot substitute directly. Multiply the numerator and denominator by the conjugate x+6+6−x\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}: x+6−6−xx⋅x+6+6−xx+6+6−x=(x+6)−(6−x)x(x+6+6−x).\frac{\sqrt{x+6}-\sqrt{6-x}}{x}\cdot\frac{\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}}{\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}} = \frac{(x+6)-(6-x)}{x\left(\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}\right)}. The numerator simplifies to 2x2x.

This leaves 2xx(x+6+6−x)=2x+6+6−x\frac{2x}{x\left(\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}\right)} = \frac{2}{\sqrt{x+6}+\sqrt{6-x}} after canceling the common factor of xx (valid since x≠0x \ne 0 as x→0x \to 0). Now substituting x=0x = 0 directly gives 26+6=226=16\frac{2}{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{6}} = \frac{2}{2\sqrt{6}} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{6}}, which is the value of the limit.

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