AP®︎ Calculus AB Unit 1: Notes & Study Guide

Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with a comprehensive review on Unit 1 of AP Calculus AB – Limits and Continuity.

Exam weight: 10%–12%
16 Topics

Unit 1: Limits and Continuity

Explore how limits help analyze change, continuity, and asymptotic behavior.

Begin with Topic 1.1: Introducing Calculus: Can...

To review Unit 1, go through each of the 16 topics below.

Everything you actually need to know for your Unit 1 test, pulled directly from the AP® Calculus AB curriculum.

Topic 1.1
~6 min
Review
Introducing Calculus: Can Change Occur at an Instant?
Introducing Calculus: Can Change Occur at an Instant?
  • Average Rate of Change
  • From Secant Lines to the Instantaneous Rate of Change
  • What the Limit Is Doing
Review
Topic 1.2
~5 min
Review
Defining Limits and Using Limit Notation
Defining Limits and Using Limit Notation
  • What a Limit Is
  • Limit Notation and How to Read It
  • Representing Limits Three Ways
Review
Topic 1.3
~6 min
Review
Estimating Limit Values from Graphs
Estimating Limit Values from Graphs
  • What a Limit Is From a Graph
  • Estimating a Limit From a Graph
  • When a Limit Does Not Exist
Review
Topic 1.4
~5 min
Review
Estimating Limit Values from Tables
Estimating Limit Values from Tables
  • What It Means to Estimate a Limit from a Table
  • One-Sided Limits
  • How to Estimate from a Table
Review
Topic 1.5
~6 min
Review
Determining Limits Using Algebraic Properties of Limits
Determining Limits Using Algebraic Properties of Limits
  • The Limit Laws
  • Direct Substitution and When It Works
  • A Step-by-Step Process for Algebraic Limits
Review
Topic 1.6
~6 min
Review
Determining Limits Using Algebraic Manipulation
Determining Limits Using Algebraic Manipulation
  • When Direct Substitution Fails
  • Factoring and Canceling Common Factors
  • Rationalizing with Conjugates
Review
Topic 1.7
~6 min
Review
Selecting Procedures for Determining Limits
Selecting Procedures for Determining Limits
  • How to Choose a Method to Evaluate a Limit
  • Limits from a Graph
  • Limits from a Table
Review
Topic 1.8
~6 min
Review
Determining Limits Using the Squeeze Theorem
Determining Limits Using the Squeeze Theorem
  • What the Squeeze Theorem Says
  • The Three Conditions You Must Check
  • A Classic Oscillation Example
Review
Topic 1.9
~5 min
Review
Connecting Multiple Representations of Limits
Connecting Multiple Representations of Limits
  • What a Limit Means Across Representations
  • Graphical Representation
  • Numerical Representation
Review
Topic 1.10
~6 min
Review
Exploring Types of Discontinuities
Exploring Types of Discontinuities
  • What Continuity at a Point Means
  • The Three Types of Discontinuities
  • How to Classify a Discontinuity
Review
Topic 1.11
~5 min
Review
Defining Continuity at a Point
Defining Continuity at a Point
  • What It Means for a Function to Be Continuous at \( x = c \)
  • The Three Conditions Broken Down
  • What This Looks Like on a Graph
Review
Topic 1.12
~6 min
Review
Confirming Continuity over an Interval
Confirming Continuity over an Interval
  • What It Means for a Function to Be Continuous on an Interval
  • Function Types That Are Automatically Continuous (on Their Domains)
  • How to Determine Whether a Function Is Continuous on a Given Interval
Review
Topic 1.13
~5 min
Review
Removing Discontinuities
Removing Discontinuities
  • Removable Discontinuities
  • How to Remove a Hole in a Rational Function
  • Making a Piecewise Function Continuous
Review
Topic 1.14
~6 min
Review
Connecting Infinite Limits and Vertical Asymptotes
Connecting Infinite Limits and Vertical Asymptotes
  • Infinite Limits and What They Mean
  • Vertical Asymptotes and Their Connection to Infinite Limits
  • How to Find Vertical Asymptotes Algebraically
Review
Topic 1.15
~6 min
Review
Connecting Limits at Infinity and Horizontal Asymptotes
Connecting Limits at Infinity and Horizontal Asymptotes
  • Limits at Infinity and End Behavior
  • Horizontal Asymptotes and What They Mean
  • Finding Horizontal Asymptotes for Rational Functions
Review
Topic 1.16
~6 min
Review
Working with the Intermediate Value Theorem (IVT)
Working with the Intermediate Value Theorem (IVT)
  • The Intermediate Value Theorem
  • The Most Tested Case: Proving a Root Exists
  • The Two Conditions You Must Check
Review

Notes

1 credit used · 5/5 remaining