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Exercise 347Calculus › Single-variable calculus › LimitsL1Added 1 Nov 2026

(e^x − cos x) over sin x

#combining known limits#indeterminate forms

Statement

Compute
lim⁡x→0ex−cos⁡xsin⁡x.\lim_{x\to0}\frac{e^x-\cos x}{\sin x}.

Hint

Divide the numerator and the denominator by xx, and split the numerator into two known limits.

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Solution

Idea. Divide top and bottom by xx to make familiar quotients appear: for x≠0x \neq 0,
ex−cos⁡xsin⁡x=ex−cos⁡xxsin⁡xx.\frac{e^x-\cos x}{\sin x} = \frac{\frac{e^x-\cos x}{x}}{\frac{\sin x}{x}}.

Numerator. For x≠0x\neq0,
ex−cos⁡xx=ex−1x+1−cos⁡xx.\frac{e^x-\cos x}{x}=\frac{e^x-1}{x}+\frac{1-\cos x}{x}.
The first quotient tends to 11. For the second, write 1−cos⁡xx=x⋅1−cos⁡xx2→0⋅12=0.\dfrac{1-\cos x}{x}=x\cdot\dfrac{1-\cos x}{x^2}\to0\cdot\dfrac12=0. So the numerator divided by xx tends to 1+0=11+0=1.

Denominator. sin⁡xx→1\dfrac{\sin x}{x}\to1.

Conclusion.
ex−cos⁡xsin⁡x=(ex−cos⁡x)/x(sin⁡x)/x⟶11=1.\frac{e^x-\cos x}{\sin x}=\frac{(e^x-\cos x)/x}{(\sin x)/x}\longrightarrow\frac11=1.