AS-Level Maths:

Core 1
for Edexcel

C1.4 Algebra and

functions 4
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 Plotting and sketching graphs

Plotting and sketching graphs

Contents

Graphs of functions
Using graphs to solve equations
Transforming graphs of functions
Examination-style questions

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Plotting graphs

Suppose we wish to plot the graph of y = x3 – 7x + 2 for

–3 < x < 3.
We can find the coordinates of any number of points that
satisfy the equation using a table of values. For example:
x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
x3 –27 –8 –1 0 1 8 27
– 7x + 21 +14 +7 0 –7 – 14 – 21
+2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2
y = x3 – 7x + 2 –4 8 8 2 –4 –4 8
These values of x and y correspond to the coordinates of
points that lie on the curve.

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Plotting graphs

x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
y = x3 – 7x + 2 –4 8 8 2 –4 –4 8

The points given in the table y

10
are plotted …
8

… and the points are then 6

joined together with a smooth 4
curve. 2

The shape of this graph is –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 x

characteristic of a cubic –2

function. –4

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Sketching graphs

When the general shape of a graph is known it is more usual to

sketch the graph.
To help us sketch a graph given its equation we can find:
Points where the curve intercepts the y-axis
These are found by putting x = 0 in the equation of the graph.
Points where the curve intercepts the x-axis
These are found by putting y = 0 in the equation of the graph.
The value of y when x is very large and positive
The value of y when x is very large and negative
Turning points
A turning point is a point where the gradient of a graph
changes from being positive to negative or vice versa.
It can be a maximum or a minimum.

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Sketching graphs

For example:
Sketch the curve of y = x3 + 2x2 – 3x.
When x = 0 we have y = 03 + 2(0)2 – 3(0)
=0
So the curve passes through the point (0, 0).
When y = 0 we have x3 + 2x2 – 3x = 0
Factorizing gives x(x2 + 2x – 3) = 0
x(x + 3)(x – 1) = 0
x = 0, x = –3 or x = 1
So the curve also passes through the points (–3, 0) and (1, 0).

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Sketching graphs

We can plot these three points on our graph.

y When x is very large and
7
positive, y is very large and
6
positive. We can write this as:
5

4
as x  , y  .
3 We can use this to sketch in this
2 part of the graph:
1
Also:
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 x as x  , y  .
–1

–2 We can use this to sketch in this

part of the graph:
We can now produce a sketch of y = x3 + 2x2 – 3x.
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 Graphs of functions

Plotting and sketching graphs

Contents

Graphs of functions
Using graphs to solve equations
Transforming graphs of functions
Examination-style questions

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Graphs of cubic functions

A cubic function in x can be written in the form:

y = ax3 + bx2 + cx + d (where a ≠ 0)
Graphs of cubic functions have a characteristic shape
depending on the values of the coefficients:
When the coefficient of x3 is positive the shape is

or

When the coefficient of x3 is negative the shape is

or

Cubic curves have rotational symmetry of order 2.

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Graphs of factorized cubic functions

In general:

When a cubic function is written in the form

y = a(x – p)(x – q)(x – r), it will cut the x-axis at
the points (p, 0), (q, 0) and (r, 0).
p, q and r are the roots of the cubic function.

To sketch the graph of a cubic function given in factorized form,

Find the roots of the function and plot these on the x-axis.

Find the y-intercept by putting x equal to 0 in the equation.

Look at the coefficient of x3 to decide whether the curve is

N -shaped or -shaped.

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The graphs of y = x2 and y = x3

You should be familiar with the graphs of y = x2 and y = x3:

y y
y = x2 y = x3

0 x

0 x

This is a quadratic This is a cubic

function function

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Graphs of the form y = kxn

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The graph of y = 1/x

You should also be familiar with the graph of y = 1x .

Notice that the curve gets

1 y
y= closer and closer to the x- and
x y-axes but never touches
them.
0 x The x- and y-axes form
asymptotes.

The graph of y = 1x is an
This is a reciprocal example of a discontinuous
function function.

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Graphs of the form y = kx–n

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The graph of y = x

Another interesting graph is y = x .

This graph can only be drawn
y= x for positive values of x.
This is because we cannot
y
find the square root of a
negative number.
Also, remember that y = x is
0 x
defined as the positive square
root of x.
The curve is therefore only
y2 = x drawn in the first quadrant.
Compare this to the graph of y2
= x.
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Graphs of the form y = k n x

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 Using graphs to solve equations

Plotting and sketching graphs

Contents

Graphs of functions
Using graphs to solve equations
Transforming graphs of functions
Examination-style questions

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Using graphs to solve equations

By sketching an appropriate graph find the

solutions to the equation 2x2 – 5 = 3x.

We can do this by considering the left-hand side and the right-

hand side of the equation as two separate functions.

2x2 – 5 = 3x

y = 2x2 – 5 y = 3x
The points where these two functions intersect will give us the
solutions to the equation 2x2 – 5 = 3x.

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Using graphs to solve equations

10 y = 2x2 – 5 The graphs of

y = 3x y = 2x2 – 5 and y = 3x
8 intersect at the points:
(2.5, 7.5)
6 (–1, –3)
4 and (2.5, 7.5).

2
The x-values of these
coordinates give us the
–4 –3 –2
–1 0 1 2 3 4 solutions to the equation
–2 2x2 – 5 = 3x as
(–1,–3)
–4 x = –1
–6 and x = 2.5

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Using graphs to solve equations

Alternatively, we can rearrange the equation so that all the

terms are on the left-hand side:

2x2 – 3x – 5 = 0

y = 2x2 – 3x – 5 y=0

The line y = 0 is the x-axis. This means that the solutions to

the equation 2x2 – 3x – 5 = 0 can be found where the function
y = 2x2 – 3x – 5 crosses the x-axis.
These points represent the roots of the function y = 2x2 – 3x – 5.

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Using graphs to solve equations

10 y = 2x2 – 3x – 5 The graph of

y = 2x2 – 3x – 5 crosses
8 the x-axis at the points:
6 (–1, 0)
4 and (2.5, 0).
2
(–1,0) (2.5, 0) y=0 The x-values of these
coordinates give us the
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–2
same solutions:
x = –1
–4
and x = 2.5
–6

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Using graphs to solve equations

Use a graph to solve the equation x3 – 3x = 1.

This equation does not have any rational solutions and so the
graph can only be used to find approximate solutions.
A cubic equation can have up to three solutions and so the
graph can also tell us how many solutions there are.
Again, we can consider the left-hand side and the right-hand
side of the equation as two separate functions and find the
x-coordinates of their points of intersection.
x3 – 3x = 1

y = x3 – 3x y=1
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Using graphs to solve equations

y = x3 – 3x The graphs of y = x3 – 3x
10
and y = 1 intersect at
8 three points.
6 This means that the
equation x3 – 3x = 1 has
4
three solutions.
2 y=1 Using the graph these
solutions are
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
approximately:
–2
x = –1.5
–4
x = –0.3
–6 x = 1.9

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 Transforming graphs of functions

Plotting and sketching graphs

Contents

Graphs of functions
Using graphs to solve equations
Transforming graphs of functions
Examination-style questions

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Transforming graphs of functions

Graphs can be transformed by translating, reflecting, stretching

or rotating them.

The equation of the transformed graph will be related to the

equation of the original graph.

When investigating transformations it is most useful to express

functions using function notation.

For example, suppose we wish to investigate transformations

of the function f(x) = x2.

The equation of the graph of y = x2, can be written as y = f(x).

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Vertical translations

Here is the graph of y = x2.

y This is the graph of y = x2 – 7.
What do you notice?
The graph of y = x2 has been
translated 7 units down.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
x
then the translated graph can be written
as y = f(x) – 7. In general:
The graph of y = f(x) + a is the graph
of y = f(x) translated by the vector 0 .
a

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Translating quadratic functions vertically

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Translating cubic functions vertically

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Translating reciprocal functions vertically

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Horizontal translations

Again, here is the graph of y = x2.

y This is the graph of y = (x + 3)2.
What do you notice?
The graph of y = x2 has been
translated 3 units to the left.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
then the translated graph can be written
as y = f(x + 3). In general:
x
The graph of y = f(x + a) is the graph
of y = f(x) translated by the vector –a .
0

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Translating quadratic functions horizontally

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Translating cubic functions horizontally

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Translating reciprocal functions horizontally

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Reflections in the x-axis

Here is the graph of y = x2 – 2x – 2.

y This is the graph of y = –x2 + 2x + 2.
What do you notice?
The graph of y = x2 – 2x – 2 has been
reflected in the x-axis.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
x
then the translated graph can be written
as y = –f(x). In general:

The graph of y = –f(x) is the graph of

y = f(x) reflected in the x-axis.

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Reflecting quadratic functions in the x-axis

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Reflecting cubic functions in the x-axis

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Reflecting reciprocal functions in the x-axis

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Reflections in the y-axis

Here is the graph of y = x3 + 4x2 – 3.

y This is the graph of y = (–x)3 + 4(–x)2 – 3.
What do you notice?
The graph of y = x3 + 4x2 – 3 has been
reflected in the y-axis.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
x
then the translated graph can be written
as y = f(–x). In general:

The graph of y = f(–x) is the graph of

y = f(x) reflected in the y-axis.

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Reflecting quadratic functions in the y-axis

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Reflecting cubic functions in the y-axis

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Reflecting reciprocal functions in the y-axis

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Vertical stretches

Let’s start with the graph of y = x2 – 3 and add the graph of

y = 2x2 – 6.
We can produce the graph of y = 2x2 – 6
y by doubling the y-coordinate of every
point on the original graph y = x2 – 3.
This has the effect of stretching the
graph in the vertical direction.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
then the translated graph can be written
as y = 2f(x). In general:
x
The graph of y = af(x) is the graph of
y = f(x) stretched parallel to the y-axis
by scale factor a.

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Stretching quadratic functions vertically

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Stretching cubic functions vertically

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Stretching reciprocal functions vertically

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Horizontal stretches

Let’s start with the graph of y = x2 + 3x – 4 and add the graph of

y = (2x)2 + 3(2x) – 4.
We can produce the second graph by
y halving the x-coordinate of every point
on the original graph.
This has the effect of compressing the
graph in the horizontal direction.
If the original graph is written as y = f(x)
x then the translated graph can be written
as y = f(2x). In general:
The graph of y = f(ax) is the graph of
y = f(x) stretched parallel to the x-axis
by scale factor 1a .

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Stretching quadratic functions horizontally

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Stretching cubic functions horizontally

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Stretching reciprocal functions horizontally

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 Examination-style questions

Plotting and sketching graphs

Contents

Graphs of functions
Using graphs to solve equations
Transforming graphs of functions
Examination-style questions

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Examination-style question

This diagram shows the graph of y = f(x) which has a minimum

point at (2, –3).
y
a) Sketch the following graphs
on separate sets of axes,
indicating the turning point
in each case.
i) y = f(x + 4)
x
ii) y = f(2x)
b) Given that f(x) = ax2 + bx + 5
(2, –3) find the values of a and b.

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Examination-style question

a) i) y = f(x + 4) ii) y = f(2x)

y y

x x

(–2, –3) (1, –3)

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Examination-style question

b) f(x) is quadratic and so it can be written in the form

a(x + p)2 + q where (–p, q) are the coordinates of the vertex.
The vertex is at the point (2, –3) so
f(x) = a(x – 2)2 – 3
= a(x2 – 4x + 4) – 3
= ax2 – 4ax + 4a – 3
But ax2 – 4ax + 4a – 3 = ax2 + bx + 5
So 4a – 3 = 5
a=2
b = –8

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