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MODULE 1 Basic Calculus EDITED

This document provides an overview of piecewise functions, including their definition, evaluation, and graphing techniques. It includes examples of piecewise functions, methods for evaluating them, and instructions for graphing based on different intervals of x. Additionally, it contains links to further resources and an assessment section for students to practice evaluating and sketching piecewise functions.

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Rose Ann Usana
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9 views5 pages

MODULE 1 Basic Calculus EDITED

This document provides an overview of piecewise functions, including their definition, evaluation, and graphing techniques. It includes examples of piecewise functions, methods for evaluating them, and instructions for graphing based on different intervals of x. Additionally, it contains links to further resources and an assessment section for students to practice evaluating and sketching piecewise functions.

Uploaded by

Rose Ann Usana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PIECEWISE FUNCTIONS

I. Learning Objectives:
At the end of the module, the students are expected to:
 define a piecewise function
 evaluate a piecewise function; and
 graph a piecewise function.

II. Discussion:
Piecewise Functions →If we want a function to behave differently depending on the x- values,
we need a piecewise function.
 A piecewise function is a function in which more than one formula is used to define the
output over different pieces of the domain. We notate it like this:
𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 1
𝑓(𝑥) = {𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 2 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 2}
𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 3 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 3
 A piecewise function is just a function that uses more than one equation to describe its
behavior. When we graph piecewise functions, we are really graphing different pieces of
different lines.

A function made up of 3 pieces

Example 1: Here is an example of a piecewise function:


 when x is less than 2, it gives x2,
 when x is exactly 2 it gives 6
 when x is more than 2 and less than or equal to 6 it gives the line 10-x

It looks like this:


(a solid dot means "including", an open
dot means "not including"). This is how we
write it:

Example 2: Here is another piecewise function:

which looks
like:

x is ≤ 1, so we use h(x) = 2, so h(-


What is h(-1)?
1) = 2
x is ≤ 1, so we use h(x) = 2,
What is h(1)?
so h(1) = 2
x is > 1, so we use h(x) = x, so h(4)
What is h(4)?
=4
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Example 3: Sample real-life application of piecewise function

Evaluating Piecewise Functions


 Sometimes, you’ll be given piecewise functions and asked to evaluate them; in other
words, find the y values when you are given an x value.

Example 1: Let’s do this for x = –6 and x = 4 (without using the graph). Here is the function
again:

Solution:
We first want to look at the conditions at the right first, to see where our x is. When x=– 6,
we know that it’s less than –2, so we plug in our x to 2 x+ 8 only. So f (x) or y is (2)(–6) + 8,
or – 4 . We don’t even care about the x 2. You can also see that we did this correctly by
using the graph above. Now try x=4. We look at the right first, and see that our x is
greater than –2, so we plug it in the x 2. (We can just ignore the 2x + 8 this time.) So f (x)
or y is 4 2 which is 16.

Example 2: Let us have another example of evaluating piecewise functions:

Graph of a Piecewise Function


 Piecewise functions are what they are named: pieces of different functions all on one
graph.

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 The easiest way to think of them is if you drew more than one function on a graph, and
you just erased parts of the functions where they aren’t supposed to be (along the x’s);
they are defined differently for different intervals of x. So y is defined differently for
different values of x; we use the x to look up what interval it’s in, so we can find out what
the y is supposed to be.

Example 1: Construct a table of values with at least 3 values of x, then solve for y. Connect
the points.

So what this means is for every x less than or equal to –2, we need to graph the line 2x + 8, as if
it were the only function on the graph. For every x value greater than –2, we need to graph x 2,
as if it were the only function on the graph. Then we have to “get rid of” the parts that we don’t
need.

Remember that we still use the origin as the reference point for both graphs! See how
the vertical line x = –2 acts as a “boundary” line between the two graphs? Note that the point (–
2, 4) has a closed circle on it. Technically, it should only belong to the 2x + 8 function, since
that function has the less than or equal sign, but since the point is also on the x 2 graph, we
can just use a closed circle as if it appears on both functions.

 Piecewise functions may be continuous (as seen in the example above), or they may be
discontinuous (having breaks, jumps, or holes as seen in the examples below).

Example 2a, 2b, 2c: Construct a table of values with at least 3 values of x, then solve for y.
Connect the points.

Domain: All Reals Domain: All Reals


Domain: [-5,1] U (2,5] Range: (-∞,0) U [1,∞)
Range: All Reals
Range: [-2,4]
III. For additional lectures, you may visit the following in youtube, the links are given
below:

Evaluating piecewise functions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYOXMyFKotc

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Graphing piecewise functions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzw9tsGq2Pw

References:
 Balmaceda, J. M. et al. (2016). Teaching guide for senior high school: Basic calculus.
Quezon City: CHED

 Goodwill, H.T. (n.d.). Math warehouse: Definition of continuity. Retrieved from


https://bit.ly/3c2RE3Y

MODULE 1 ASSESSMENT (30 pts)


NAME SECTION DATE

A. Evaluate the following piecewise functions. Show your complete solution. (20 pts)

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

B. Sketch each function below without using a graphing calculator.


***Construct a table of values with at least three (3) values of x for each piece of the
function. Solve for y.
Then, evaluate the following. Show your complete solution. (10 pts)

{
¿ 2 , x ≥5
7. f (x)= ¿−2 x ,−2≤ x <5
2
¿ 2−x , x <−2
evaluate:

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{
3 x +4 , x ←2
8. f ( x )= x −5 ,−2≤ x ≤ 2
2

5 , x >2
evaluate:

f (−1.5 )=¿ ¿
f ( 6.5 )=¿ ¿

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