10 Essential Functions

of Calculus
Allan Garza
Period 1,3
Calculus
f(x)=x
2
, Quadratic
f(x)=x
2

f(x)=x
2
-5
-2 -4
-1 1
0 0
1 1
2 4
-2 -1
-1 -4
0 -5
1 -4
2 -1
-2 7
-1 4
0 3
1 4
2 7
-2 16
-1 4
0 0
1 4
2 16
f(x)=x
2
+3
f(x)=4x
2

f(x)=ax
2
+bx+c
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Range=0,
Range=0,
Range=0,
Range=-5,
If the function has an A, which is the front
of the x
2
it is narrower to the y axis, as it
gets closer to 1 or a number higher than
zero, and if the graph gets wider, if it is
closer to zero, until it is negative which
then flips the graph in the x axis. With B it
controls if it goes left or right. If B is
negative it goes right. If positive goes to
the left. The C would be the -5 in the red
graph, C controls the graph up and down
axis (negative goes down, positive goes
up).
f(x)=ax
2
+bx+c
f(x)=sin x, Sine Function
-2 -0.9
-1 -0.84
0 0
1 0.84
2 0.9
f(x)=sinx
-2 0.75
-1 -0.9
0 0
1 0.9
2 -0.75
f(x)=sin2x
-2 -2.9
-1 -2.84
0 -2
1 -1.15
2 -1.09
f(x)=sinx-2
-2 3.51
-1 -0.18
0 2
1 3.81
2 0.48
f(x)=2sin2x+2
Domain= -,
Range=-1, 1
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Range=-1, 1
Range=-3, 1
Range=0,4
f(x)=AsinBx+C
The A of the function changes the range of the graph, the graph compresses or extends the
function horizontally so the higher or taller and the closer to zero the closer to the x axis. The orange
graph has an A of 2 so it is taller or stretched horizontally compared to the green graph.
The B stretches the graph vertically or shrinks the graph making the sin pattern more frequently. For
example green graph, f(x)=sin2x, the B is 2 so the graph is compressed vertically. If the B was 1 it
would be flatter if the B was 9 the frequency of the graph would be close together.
The C would affect the graph on the y axis and defines the y intercept, C only goes up or down.
The purple graph, f(x)=sinx-2, the graph goes down 2. The orange graph has a C of 2 the y
intercept is a 2 or the midpoint moves according to the c.
f(x)=AsinBx+C
f(x)=cosx, Cosine
-2 -0.41
-1 0.54
0 1
1 0.54
2 0.41
f(x)=cosx
-2 0.96
-1 -0.98
0 1
1 -0.98
2 0.96
f(x)=cos3x
-2 0.54
-1 0.87
0 1
1 0.8.7
2 0.54
-2 -0.9
-1 -0.84
0 0
1 0.84
2 0.9
f(x)=cos x/2 f(x)=cos(x-pi/2)
-2 -0.16
-1 -2.08
0 -3
1 -2.08
2 -0.16
f(x)=-2cos x-1
Domain= -,
Domain= -, Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Range=-1, 1
Range=-1, 1
Range=-1, 1 Range=-1, 1
Range=-3, 1
f(x)=AcosBx+C
The A value of the function, compresses or extends the graph horizontally,
for example the black graph, f(x)=-2cos x-1, has a value of -2 which is
stretched and the y axis is moved to -2. instead of 2, due to the negative.
The closer the A value is to zero the flatter or compressed it gets.
The B value compresses or extends the frequency of the function vertically.
For example, f(x)=cos3x is compressed vertically making the frequency
closer, and the cos pattern occurs more often than if it would if B was 1.
The C would affect the graph on the y axis ,C only goes up or down. For
example the black graph moves down 1 because the C is -1. The black
graph, equation f(x)=-2cos x-1, and has an amplitude of 4 since the midline
is y=-1 instead of 0, so the midline moves.


f(x)=AcosBx+C
f(x)= x
3
,Cubic
-2 -8
-1 -1
0 0
1 1
2 8
f(x)= x
3

-2 125
-1 64
0 27
1 8
2 1
f(x)= -(x-3)
3

-2 -4
-1 -0.5
0 0
1 0.5
2 4
f(x)=1/2x
3

-2 -4
-1 3
0 4
1 5
2 12
f(x)=x
3
+4
-2 -4
-1 -3
0 -2
1 5
2 24
f(x)= (x+1)
3
-3
Domain= -,
Domain= -, Domain= -,
Domain= -, Domain= -,
Range=-, Range=-,
Range=-,
Range=-, Range=-,
a(x+b)
3
+c
a(x+b)
3
+c
Since the A, is in front of the x, for example the
black graph with the equation f(x)=-(x-3)
3
is
affected since the the negative 1 flips the
graph and since it is less than zero it is flipped
(Hence the negative).
The B changes where it is located in the x axis.
If the b is positive, for example, the purple
graph has a equation of f(x)=(x+1)
3
-3, it
moves once to the left and it also has a C
which is -3 in the graph.
The same purple graph, f(x)=(x+1)
3
-3, also has
a C. The C defines where the y intercept lies.
The -3 decides that the graph goes down 3. If
the 3 was positive it would go up 3.
f(x)=|x|, Absolute
-2 2
-1 1
0 0
1 1
2 2
-2 6
-1 3
0 0
1 3
2 6
-2 1
-1 0
0 1
1 2
2 3
-2 -1
-1 0
0 1
1 0
2 -1
f(x)= |x+1|
f(x)=|x|
f(x)= -|x| +1 f(x)=3|x|
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Range=0, Range=0,
Range=-,1 Range=0,
f(x)=A|x+B|+C
The A affects how narrow or
wide the function is. The closer
the value is to zero the wider it is,
the farther from zero the
narrower the function is. For
example, the black graph
f(x)=3|x|the narrower it is, since
it is far from zero. If A is negative
then you flip in the x axis and
then decide if it is narrow or wide
if it is any number other than
1.The orange graph has also an
A value which is negative which
explains why it is flipped in the x
axis.
The B changes the x intercept.
For the purple graph, f(x)=|x+1|,
moves the x intercept to the left
once, if it B was -1 it would move
to the right once.
The C moves the graph or the y
intercept up or down, the
orange graph, f(x)=-|x|+1
moves one up.
f(x)=A|x+B|+C
f(x)= x, Square Root
-2 Undefined
-1 Undefined
0 0
1 1
2 1.41
-2 Undefined
-1 Undefined
0 0
1 -1
2 -1.41
f(x)=x
f(x)=-x
-2 0
-1 1
0 1.41
1 1.732
2 2
f(x)=x+2
-2 2.23
-1 2
0 1.73
1 1.41
2 1
f(x)=-(x-3)
-2 -3.41
-1 -3.73
0 -4
1 -4.23
2 -4.44
f(x)=-x+4-2
Ax+b+c
Domain= 0,
Domain= 0,
Domain= -2,
Domain= -,3
Domain= -4,
Range=0,
Range=0,
Range=-,0 Range=0,
Range=-,-2
ax+b +c
The A of the function changes
the distance of the graph from
the x axis. The purple graph(f(x)= -
x) has an A of negative 1 so it
flips in the x axis.
For the black graph, f(x)=-(x-3, it
flips in the y axis, which explains
why the 3 is in the right instead of
the left, since you distribute the
negative.
For a function that has a B in the
function it moves the graph left
or right, if negative moves to the
right if positive, moves to the left.
Orange graph has a B of 2 so it
moves to the left 2 times.
The C the graph moves only up
and down. The green graph,
f(x)=x+4-2, has a C of -2 so the
graph goes down 2.

f(x)=log
a
x, Logarithmic
-2 Undefined
-1 Undefined
0 Undefined
1 0
2 0.301
-2 Undefined
-1 Undefined
0 Undefined
1 0.5
2 1.5
-2 2
-1 1.58
0 1
1 0
2 Undefined
-2 Undefined
-1 Undefined
0 Undefined
1 0
2 -2
f(x)=logx
f(x)=-2log
2
(x)
f(x)=log
2
(2-x)
f(x)=log
2
x+1/2
a log(b(x-c))+d
Domain= 0,
Domain= 0,
Domain= -,2
Domain= 0,
Range=-, Range=-,
Range=-,
Range=-,
A log(b(x-c))+d
The A value changes how close
it is to the x axis. If the A value
increases it is farther from the x
axis. Then if A value decreases
it is closer to the x axis. For
example the orange graph,
f(x)=-2log
2
(x) the A value is -2 so
it flip and is farther from the x
axis.
B value changes the or flips on
the y axis as seen on the black
graph which is -2 or 2-x.
The C value controls where if it
goes left or right. IF negative it
goes right if positive it goes left.
The D value controls where if
the function goes up or down,
for example, the red graph,
f(x)=log
2
x+1/2, has a D of .5. The
red graph went up .5 from the
original, equation f(x)=logx.



f(x)=a
x
,
Exponential
-2 0.25
-1 0.5
0 1
1 2
2 4
f(x)=2
x

-2 2
-1 4
0 8
1 16
2 32
f(x)=2
x+3

-2 1
-1 1
0 1
1 1
2 1
f(x)=1x
-2 -0.25
-1 -0.5
0 -1
1 -2
2 -4
f(x)=-2
x

-2 4
-1 2
0 1
1 0.5
2 0.25
f(x)=2
-x

a
(x+b)+c
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Domain= -,
Range=0,
Range=1
Range=0,
Range=-,0
Domain= -,
Range=0,
a
(x+b)+c
When the A value is more than 1 it
gets closer to the y value, for
example the orange graph is 2
x
and
would be farther next to a function
that is 20
x
. When the A is 1 it is a flat
line and crosses the y axis at 1,
which is the blue graph. But when
the A value is negative it flips on the
x axis which is the green graph.
But since there is a negative in front
of the x in the function f(x)=2
-x
, it is
reflected on the y axis because of
the negative.
The B value moves the graph left or
right, for example the in the black
graph or f(x)=2
x+3
, since there is a 3
the graph is moved to the left 3
times, if the 3 was negative it would
move to the right 3 times.
The C value controls if the graph
moves up or down. If negative it
moves down, if positive it moves up.


f(x)=1/x, Rational
-2 0.5
-1 1
0 Undefined
1 -1
2 -0.5
f(x)=-1/x
-2 -0.5
-1 -1
0 Undefined
1 1
2 0.5
-2 -0.166
-1 -0.2
0 -0.25
1 -0.33
2 -0.5
-2 -1
-1 -2
0 Undefined
1 2
2 1
-2 -1.5
-1 -2
0 Undefined
1 0
2 -0.5
f(x)=1/x
f(x)=1/x-4
f(x)=2(1/x)
f(x)=(1/x)-1
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(-,0) U (0,)
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(-,0) U (0,)
Domain=(-,4) U (4,)
Range=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(-,0) U (0,)
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(-,-1) U (-1,)
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
F(x)=A/x-B+C
For the A value, it either gets
closer or farther from the point
(0,0). The Higher the A value the
farther it gets from the point (0,0),
the closer to zero the A value is
the closer it is to the point (0,0).
The blue graph has an A of 2
which explains why it is farther
than the black graph which has
an A of 1.
The B value shifts the graph left
and right. For example, red graph
or f(x)=1/x-4, has a B value of -4
which then moves the graph to
the right 4 times.
The C value shifts the graph up
and down. The green graph
moves the graph down 1 since in
the equation, f(x)=(1/x)-1 has a C
value of -1 so therefore it shifts
down one time.


F(x)=A/x-B+C
f(x)=1/x
2
, Rational
-2 0.25
-1 1
0 Undefined
1 1
2 0.25
f(x)=1/x
2

-2 0.0625
-1 0.11
0 0.25
1 1
2 Undefined
f(x)=1/(x-2)
2

-2 -0.75
-1 -3
0 Undefined
1 -3
2 -0.75
f(x)=-3/x
2

-2 3.25
-1 4
0 Undefined
1 4
2 3.25
f(x)=(1/x
2
)+3
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(0,)
Domain=(-,2) U (2,)
f(x)=A/x
2
-B +C
Range=(0,)
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(-,0)
Domain=(-,0) U (0,)
Range=(3,)
The A value of the graph increases, the
farther it is from the y axis and if A is
closer to zero the closer it will get to the
y axis. For example the green graph or
f(x)=-3/x
2
has an A value of -3 which the
negative just flips the graph from the x
axis and is still left with 3 so therefore it is
farther from the y axis than if it was 1 or
2.
The B value shifts the graph left and
right, the blue graph or f(x)=1/(x-2
)2
, has
a B value of -2 which means it moves to
the right 2 times. If positive, it moves to
the left.
The C value signifies if the if the value
moves up or down. The purple graph or
f(x)=(1/x
2
)+3 has a C value of 3 so
therefore it moves up 3 time. If
negative then it would go down
instead of up.



f(x)=A/x
2
-B +C