calculus · worked example

Solve lim x→0 of sin(x)/x

Method: L'Hôpital's rule. Verified step-by-step solution with our free AI math solver.
Problem

limx0sinxx\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sin x}{x}

Step-by-step solution

  1. Direct substitution gives sin00=00\frac{\sin 0}{0} = \frac{0}{0}indeterminate form.

  2. Apply L'Hôpital's rule: differentiate numerator and denominator separately.

  3. Numerator derivative: ddxsinx=cosx\frac{d}{dx}\sin x = \cos x.

  4. Denominator derivative: ddxx=1\frac{d}{dx}x = 1.

  5. Limit becomes limx0cosx1=cos0=1\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\cos x}{1} = \cos 0 = 1.

  6. This limit is so important it has its own name: the fundamental trig limit, foundational to all of calculus.

Answer

11

Want to solve a different problem? Open the limit solver →