While this particular question is from a calculus class I'm taking, this issue has plagued me for some time; I simply didn't care enough to bother figuring it out. Now, however, it'll cost me if I don't get it, so I'd like to know how to simplify something like this:
$$\frac{\sqrt{2a + 2h + 1} - \sqrt{2a + 1}}{h}$$
This particular problem is attempting to find the derivative of $\sqrt{2x+1}$ (using limits, not just doing the derivative). So, one finds the derivative using limits through the limit as $h \to 0$ of $\frac{f(a+h)-f(a)}{h}$. However, when I put in the function $\sqrt{2x+1}$, I get the above expression. Is there a way to simplify this (and other difficult square roots) or am I just doing this wrong?
Thank you!
Observe that using the conjugate of the numerator:
$$\frac{\sqrt{2a + 2h + 1} - \sqrt{2a + 1}}{h}\cdot\frac{\sqrt{2a + 2h + 1} + \sqrt{2a + 1}}{\sqrt{2a+2h+1}+\sqrt{2a+1}}=$$
$$=\frac{2a+2h+1-2a-1}{h\left(\sqrt{2a+2h+1}+\sqrt{2a+1}\right)}=\frac2{\sqrt{2a+2h+1}+\sqrt{2a+1}}\xrightarrow[h\to0]{}\frac2{2\sqrt{2a+1}}=\frac1{\sqrt{2a+1}}$$