CUBIC GRAPHS

AIM:

• To explore graphs of cubic functions.

• I can:
• Plots the points on a graph
• Identify the turning points.
• Use drawn graphs to solve other equations.
• Find the gradient or slope of a curve by drawing
tangents.
1 a Draw the graph of y = x3 – 5x + 2 in the range  3 x  3.

y  3   5  3   2  27  15  2  10
3
x  3,

y  2   5  2   2  8  10  2 4
3
x  2,

y  1  5  1  2  1 5  2
3
x  1, 6

y 0   5 0   2
3
x 0, 0  0  2 2

y 1  5 1  2
3
x 1, 1 5  2  2
Put the
y 2   5 2   2
3
x 2, 8  10  2 0 results into a
table and
x 3, y 3   5 3   2
3
27  15  2 14 then draw
the graph.
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y -10 4 6 2 -2 0 14
y
15 x

10 y x 3  5x  2
x
x 5
x
x x
-3 -2 -1 0 1x 2 3

-5

x -10
b Use the graph to estimate the values of x when y = 4.

x  2, x  0.4 and x 2.35

10 y x 3  5x  2
x
x 5
x
x x
-3 -2 -1 0 1x 2 3
-2 -0.4 2.35
-5

x -10
c By drawing a tangent to the graph estimate the gradient
of
14
the graph when x = 2. Gradient  7
y 2
15 x

10 y x 3  5x  2
x
x 5
x
x x
-3 -2 -1 0 1x 2 3
14
-5
2
x -10
2 a Draw the graph of y = x2 - x3 + 3x in the 2range
x  3.

y  2    2   3  2  4  8  6 6
2 3
x  2,

y  1   1  3  1 1 1 3
2 3
x  1,  1

y 0   0   3 0 
2 3
x 0, 0  0  0 0

y 1  1  3 1

y 2   2   3 2 
2 3
x 2, 4  8  6 2
Put the
y 3   3   3 3 
2 3
x 3, 9  27  9  9 results into a
table and
then draw
the graph.
 x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 6 -1 0 3 2 -9

10

x
2 3
y x  x  3x 5
x
x
x 0
x x
-2 -1 1 2 3

-5

x
-10
b Use the graph to estimate the values of x when y = 2.

x  1.5, x 0.6 and x 2

10

x
2 3
y x  x  3x 5
x
x
x 0
x x
-2 -1 1 2 3
-1.5 0.6 2
-5

x
-10
c By drawing a tangent to the graph estimate the gradient of
the graph when x = −1.
4
Gradient   2
2
y

10

x
2 3
y x  x  3x 5
x
x
x 0
x x
4 -2 -1 1 2 3

2
-5

x
-10