Math 101: Functions

Practice Problem Set – Answer Key

1. Determine if the equation is that of a function or not: 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 4

Answer: Yes, this is the equation of a function because it is a quadratic which has a parabolic
graph. This means that it passes the vertical line test because every x-value only has one
corresponding y-value.

2. Determine if the equation is that of a function or not: 𝑥 = 𝑦 − 3

Answer: No, this is not the equation of a function because it is an inverse quadratic which has a
sideways parabolic graph. This means that it passes the horizontal line test but not the vertical
because every x-value has two corresponding y-values.

3. Determine if the equation is that of a function or not: 𝑦 = |𝑥 + 3|

Answer: Yes, this is the equation of a function because it is an absolute value equation which
has a v-shaped graph. This means that it passes the vertical line test because every x-value only
has one corresponding y-value.

4. Determine if the equation is that of a function or not: 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 7

Answer: Yes, this is the equation of a function because it is a cubic which has a graph that passes
the vertical line test because every x-value only has one corresponding y-value.

5. Given f(x) = x + 2, what is f(3)?

Answer: f(x) = x + 2
f(3) = 3 + 2
f(3) = 5

6. Given f(x) = 2x - 1, what is f(5)?

Answer: f(x) = 2x - 1
f(5) = 2(5) - 1
f(5) = 10 – 1
f(5) = 9

7. Given f(x) = x2 + 4, what is f(2)?

Answer: f(x) = x2 + 4
f(2) = 22 + 4
f(2) = 4 + 4
f(2) = 8

8. Given f(x) = 3x2 - 6, what is f(4)?

Answer: f(x) = 3x2 - 6
f(4) = 3(4)2 - 6
f(4) = 3(16) – 6
f(4) = 48 – 6
f(4) = 42

Functions – Answer Key | 1

9. Is the following relation a function? If not, why not? {(-4, 3), (6, -3), (-2, 3), (-1, -3)}
Answer: Yes, the relation is a function because for every input, there is only one output.

10. Is the following relation a function? If not, why not? {(-2, 2), (3, -2), (-2, 3), (-3, -1)}
Answer: No, because the input -2 has multiple outputs.

11. Is the following relation a function? If not, why not? {(-1, 3), (4, 1), (-1, 2), (1, -3)}
Answer: No, because the input -1 has multiple outputs.

12. If the following is the graph of f(x), which is the graph of f(x+2)?

a) c)

b) d)

Functions – Answer Key | 2

 Answer: b, this graph has been shifted right two units, which is what is indicated by f(x+2).

13. If the following is the graph of f(x), which is the graph of f(x) - 2?

a) c)

b) d)

Answer: c, this graph has been shifted down two units, which is what is indicated by f(x)-2.

Functions – Answer Key | 3

14. If the following is the graph of f(x), which is the graph of f(x-2)?

a) c)

b) d)

Answer: d, this graph has been shifted right two units, which is what is indicated by f(x-2).

15. What is the domain of the function 𝑦 = ?

Answer: All real numbers except -2. An x-value of -2 will not work in this function because it
results in a zero in the denominator.

Functions – Answer Key | 4

16. What is the domain of the function 𝑦 = ?
Answer: All real numbers except 4. An x-value of 4 will not work in this function because it
results in a zero in the denominator.

17. What is the domain of the function 𝑔(𝑥) = 4𝑥 + √𝑥 − 1

Answer: 𝑥 ≥ 1, because numbers less than 1 will result in the square root of a negative number,
which is an imaginary number.

18. What is the domain of the function 𝑔(𝑥) = √𝑥 + 3

Answer: 𝑥 ≥ −3, because numbers less than 3 will result in the square root of a negative
number, which is an imaginary number.

19. What is the domain of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = {(−4, 3), (6, −3), (−2, 3), (−1, −3)}?
Answer: {-4, 6, -2, -1}

20. What is the domain of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = {(3, −3), (7, −1), (2, 1), (−1, 4)}?
Answer: {3, 7, 2, -1}

21. What is the range of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 4𝑥 + 3?

Answer: 𝑦 ≥ 3. The range is all possible y-values for the function. Since this is a parabolic
function that has been shifted up three spaces, the y-values will begin at three and increase
infinitely.

22. What is the range of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 − 6?

Answer: 𝑦 ≤ −6. The range is all possible y-values for the function. Since this is a parabolic
function that has been shifted down six spaces and opens downward, the y-values will begin at -
6 and decrease infinitely.

23. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 3 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 9, find 𝑓(𝑥) + 𝑔(𝑥).

Answer: 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 3 + (3𝑥 − 9)
2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 3 − 9
2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 5𝑥 − 6

24. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = −4𝑥 + 6, find 𝑓(𝑥) + 𝑔(𝑥).

Answer: 𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 𝑥 + (-4𝑥 + 6)
𝑥 + 2𝑥 + −4𝑥 − 𝑥 + 6
𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 𝑥 + 6

25. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 2 and 𝑔(𝑥) = −𝑥 − 𝑥 + 5, find 𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑔(𝑥).

Answer: 3𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 2 − (−𝑥 − 𝑥 + 5)
3𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 2 − −𝑥 − −𝑥 − 5
3𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 2 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 − 5
3𝑥 + 𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 2 − 5
4𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 5𝑥 − 3

Functions – Answer Key | 5

 ( )
26. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 24𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 6𝑥 , find
( )
× × × × × × × × × × × × × × × ×
Answer: = = = 2 × 2 × 𝑥 × 𝑥 = 4𝑥
× × × × × × × ×

( )
27. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 5𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 15𝑥 , find
( )
× × × × × × × × × × × × × ×
Answer: = = =
× × × × × ×

( )
28. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 6𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥, find
( )
× ×
Answer: = = =
× × × × × × × × × ×

29. If 𝑓(𝑥) = −2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 6, what is 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥)?

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = (−2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4)(3𝑥 − 6)

−2𝑥 3𝑥 −4
3𝑥 −6𝑥 9𝑥 −12𝑥
−6 12𝑥 −18𝑥 24

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = −6𝑥 + 9𝑥 − 12𝑥 + 12𝑥 − 18𝑥 + 24

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = −6𝑥 + 9𝑥 − 18𝑥 + 24

30. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 5𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = −𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 2, what is 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥)?

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = (3𝑥 − 5𝑥)(−𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 2)

−𝑥 2𝑥 2
3𝑥 −3𝑥 6𝑥 6𝑥
−5𝑥 5𝑥 −10𝑥 −10𝑥

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = −3𝑥 + 6𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 6𝑥 − 10𝑥 − 10𝑥

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = −3𝑥 + 11𝑥 − 4𝑥 − 10𝑥

31. If 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 4 and 𝑔(𝑥) = −3𝑥 − 7, what is 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥)?

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = (−𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 4)(−3𝑥 − 7)

−𝑥 2𝑥 −4
−3𝑥 3𝑥 −6𝑥 12𝑥
−7 7𝑥 −14𝑥 28

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 7𝑥 + 12𝑥 − 14𝑥 + 28

𝑓(𝑥) × 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 𝑥 + 12𝑥 − 14𝑥 + 28

Functions – Answer Key | 6

32. Find the composite function 𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) given 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 2 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 6𝑥.

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 2
𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) = (6𝑥) + 2

33. Find the composite function 𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) given 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 3𝑥 − 1.

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 𝑥
𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) = 2(3𝑥 − 1) − (3𝑥 − 1)
𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) = 2(9𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 1) − 3𝑥 − (−1)
𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) = 18𝑥 − 12𝑥 + 2 − 3𝑥 + 1
𝑓 𝑔(𝑥) = 18𝑥 − 15𝑥 + 3

34. Find the composite function 𝑔 𝑓(𝑥) given 𝑓(𝑥) = 4𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 7𝑥 − 𝑥 + 1
Answer: 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 7𝑥 − 𝑥 + 1
𝑔 𝑓(𝑥) = (4𝑥 ) + 7(4𝑥 ) − 4𝑥 + 1
𝑔 𝑓(𝑥) = 64𝑥 + 28𝑥 − 4𝑥 + 1
𝑔 𝑓(𝑥) = 64𝑥 + 24𝑥 + 1

35. Given 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 6, what is 𝑓(𝑔(8)).

Answer: 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 6
𝑔(8) = 8 − 6
𝑔(8) = 2

𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥
𝑓 𝑔(8) = (2)
𝑓 𝑔(8) = 4

36. Given 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 1 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 4, what is 𝑔 𝑓(2) .

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 1
𝑓(2) = (2) − 1
𝑓(2) = 8 − 1
𝑓(2) = 7

𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 4
𝑔 𝑓(2) = (7) + 4
𝑔 𝑓(2) = 49 + 4
𝑔 𝑓(2) = 53

Functions – Answer Key | 7

37. Find the inverse function of 𝑔(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 7.
Answer: 𝑔(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 7
𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 7
𝑥 = 2𝑦 − 7
𝑥 + 7 = 2𝑦 − 7 + 7
=
𝑔 (𝑥) =

38. Find the inverse function of 𝑓(𝑥) = 4𝑥.

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) = 4𝑥
𝑦 = 4𝑥
𝑥 = 4𝑦
/4 /4
=𝑦
𝑓 =

39. Find the inverse function of 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 .

Answer: 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥
𝑦=𝑥
𝑥=𝑦
√𝑥 = 𝑦
√ 𝑥=𝑦
𝑓 = √𝑥

40. Find the inverse function of 𝑔(𝑥) = 3/𝑥.

Answer: 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑦=
𝑥=
𝑥×𝑦= ×𝑦
𝑥𝑦 = 3
/x /x
𝑦=
𝑔 =

Functions – Answer Key | 8