<s>[INST] Evaluate $\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sqrt{1 + \tan x} - \sqrt{1 + \sin x}}{x^3}$ What I attempted thus far:
Multiplying by conjugate 
$$\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sqrt{1 + \tan x} - \sqrt{1 + \sin x}}{x^3} \cdot \frac{\sqrt{1 + \tan x} + \sqrt{1 + \sin x}}{\sqrt{1 + \tan x} + \sqrt{1 + \sin x}} = \lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\tan x - \sin x}{x^3 \cdot (\sqrt{1 + \tan x} + \sqrt{1 + \sin x})}$$
factor out $\sin x$ in the numerator
$$\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sin x \cdot (\sec x - 1)}{x^3 \cdot (\sqrt{1 + \tan x} + \sqrt{1 + \sin x})}$$
simplify using $\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sin x}{x} = 1 $
$$\lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sec x - 1}{x^2 \cdot (\sqrt{1 + \tan x} + \sqrt{1 + \sin x})}$$
From here I don't see any useful direction to go in, if I even went in an useful direction in the first place, I don't know.

I suspect that this could be evaluated using the definition of derivatives, if so, or not, any suggestions?
 [/INST] If you are allowed to use Taylor series, you could start with $$\tan(x)=x+\frac{x^3}{3}+\frac{2 x^5}{15}+O\left(x^7\right)$$ $$\sin(x)=x-\frac{x^3}{6}+\frac{x^5}{120}+O\left(x^7\right)$$ Now, use $$\sqrt{1+y}=1+\frac{y}{2}-\frac{y^2}{8}+O\left(y^3\right)$$ Replacing $y$ by the previous developments, you then have  $$\sqrt{1+\tan(x)}=1+\frac{x}{2}-\frac{x^2}{8}+\frac{11 x^3}{48}-\frac{47 x^4}{384}+O\left(x^5\right)$$ $$\sqrt{1+\sin(x)}=1+\frac{x}{2}-\frac{x^2}{8}-\frac{x^3}{48}+\frac{x^4}{384}+O\left(x^5\right)$$ $$\sqrt{1+\tan(x)}-\sqrt{1+\sin(x)}=\frac{x^3}{4}-\frac{x^4}{8}+O\left(x^5\right)$$ and finally $$\frac{\sqrt{1+\tan(x)}-\sqrt{1+\sin(x)}}{x^3}=\frac{1}{4}-\frac{x}{8}+O\left(x^2\right)$$ which shows the limit and how it is approached when $x$ goes to $0$.
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