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Graphing Polynomial Functions TI Activity

The document discusses graphs of polynomial functions of varying degrees plotted on a graphing calculator. It contains examples of polynomials of varying degrees and factors graphed in order to observe similarities and differences. The purpose is to help students understand how the degree, factors, and signs of terms in polynomial equations determine the shape of their graphs.

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Mary Jane PL
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
84 views10 pages

Graphing Polynomial Functions TI Activity

The document discusses graphs of polynomial functions of varying degrees plotted on a graphing calculator. It contains examples of polynomials of varying degrees and factors graphed in order to observe similarities and differences. The purpose is to help students understand how the degree, factors, and signs of terms in polynomial equations determine the shape of their graphs.

Uploaded by

Mary Jane PL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pre-requisite knowledge for this activity:

 The student is comfortable graphing on the TI-83+ or TI-84+ calculator.


 The student knows how to find x-intercepts and y-intercepts, both algebraically and
graphically.
 The student recognizes polynomials and can find the degree of a polynomial function.

Let’s get started.

A. View the graph of y=x2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph A

( x  0) 2

Note: x2 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.____
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._____________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the
x-axis at each x-intercept?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________

B. View the graph of y   x 2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph B

( x  0) 2

Note: -x2 may also be written – .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial. ________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._______________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?__________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph B to Graph A. Comment on similarities and differences.

C. View the graph of y=x3 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph C

( x  0) 3

Note: y=x3 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial. ___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept(s)?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph C to Graph A. Comment on similarities and differences.

D. View the graph of y   x 3 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph D
 ( x  0) 3

Note: y=-x3 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial._________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph D to Graph C and also to Graph B. Comment on similarities and
differences.

E. View the graph of y  ( x  0)1 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch


your graph below:

Graph E

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.__________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis
at each x-intercept?_________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph E to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and
differences.
F. View the graph of y  ( x  0)1 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch
your graph below:

Graph F

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph F to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

G. View the graph of y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch


your graph below:

Graph G
Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.__________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis
at each x-intercept?__________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph G to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and
differences.

H. View the graph of y  ( x  0)( x  2) 2 ( x  1) 2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch


your graph below:

Graph H

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph H to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

I. View the graph of y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2) 2 ( x  1) 2 in the following window and


sketch your graph.
Graph I

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph I to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

J. Based upon your observations above, predict the behavior of the graph of
y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2) 2 ( x  1) . Sketch what you think the graph will look like
on the coordinate plane provided. Do not use your calculator yet.

Graph J
Now check your sketch by viewing the graph in the window shown:

Comment on any inaccuracies in your graph.

K. Answer the following questions based on your observations in Graphs A


through J.

 Compare the graphs of polynomials of odd degree with those of even degree.
What do you think this determines on your graph?

 Compare the factors with odd powers to those with even powers. What do you
think this determines on your graph?

 Compare the equations with positive leading coefficients with those of negative
leading coefficients. What do you think this determines on your graph?

 How do we determine the y-intercept of a graph using only its equation?

 How do we determine the x-intercepts of a graph using only its equation?


Now that you know what determines the behavior of polynomial graphs, you are
able to sketch them without the use of your calculator.

Try these:

Using what you have learned, match the equation to its appropriate graph.

1. y  x ( x  3) 2 ( x  4)

2. y   x 2 ( x  3)( x  4) 2

3. y  x ( x  3)( x  4) 2

4. y   x 2 ( x  3) 2 ( x  4) 2

A. B.

C. D.

In the space provided, sketch a graph of the equation without using your calculator.
Note the x-intercepts and y-intercept on the axes. You need not worry about proper
scaling on the y-axis.

5. y   x 3 ( x  5) 2
6. y  ( x  1) 4 ( x  3) 2

7. y  x 4  8 x 2  16
(Hint: Notice that all the other polynomials we’ve studied have been written in
factored form!)

8. Now, write an equation for a polynomial whose graph has the following
characteristics:

 As x  , y   and as x  , y  
 The graph is tangent at both its x-intercepts -5 and 2.

Write your equation here:__________________________________________

What is the y-intercept of your graph?____________

Challenge: You must be a pro by now! See if you can handle this one!

Sketch the graph of the equation y  x10 ( x  7)13 ( x  12) 6

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