Chapter 4: Problem 16
In Exercises 11–16, describe the transformation of f represented by g. Then graph each function. (See Example 2.)\(f(x)=x^4, g(x)=(2 x)^4-3\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The transformation of f represented by g is a horizontal compression by a factor of 2 and a vertical shift downwards by 3 units.
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Basic Function
Recognize the basic function here. The basic function is \(f(x) = x^4\).
02
Evaluate g(x)
Evaluate the given function \(g(x) = (2x)^4 - 3\). Note that the term \(2x\) is raised to the power 4, which is like \(f(2x)\) and there is a minus 3 outside the brackets which shifts the plot 3 units downwards.
03
Describe the Transformations
The transformation of \(f\) represented by \(g\) can be described as a horizontal compression by a factor of 2 and a vertical shift downwards by 3 units.
04
Graph the Function
To graph the function \(f(x) = x^4\) and \(g(x) = (2x)^4 - 3\), plot some points for both functions and connect the dots smoothly. For \(f(x) = x^4\), the function increases rapidly for both the positive and negative x values. For \(g(x) = (2x)^4 - 3\), the function also increases rapidly on both sides but it is compressed horizontally to half its original width and shifted downwards by 3 compared to the graph of \(f(x) = x^4\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Horizontal Compression
The concept of horizontal compression involves modifying a graph by compressing it along the x-axis. In the given exercise, the transformation from the basic function \(f(x) = x^4\) to \(g(x) = (2x)^4\) exemplifies this. To understand horizontal compression, note that a factor inside the function, such as the 2 in \((2x)\), affects the x-coordinates:
- Every x-value is multiplied by the reciprocal of this factor.
- A factor greater than 1, such as 2, causes the graph to compress, making it appear 'squished' horizontally.
Vertical Shift
A vertical shift changes the position of a graph up or down along the y-axis. For the function \(g(x) = (2x)^4 - 3\), the "-3" represents a vertical shift. Here's how it works:
- Each point on the graph of the base function \(f(x) = x^4\) is simply moved three units down.
- The y-values are adjusted by subtracting 3 from each.
Polynomial Function
Polynomial functions are mathematical expressions involving powers of \(x\). They are characterized by their smooth and continuous curves. In our exercise, the basic function \(f(x) = x^4\) is a polynomial.Key characteristics of polynomial functions include:
- The degree of the polynomial determines the maximum number of turns the graph can have. Here, \(x^4\) is a degree 4 polynomial.
- Polynomials are symmetric about the y-axis if all powers involved are even, as shown by \(x^4\).
- As x-values increase (positive or negative), the function value increases significantly because of the high degree.
Graphing Functions
Graphing functions involves plotting points from a given equation onto a coordinate system and connecting them to visualize the function's shape.For graphing \(f(x) = x^4\) and \(g(x) = (2x)^4 - 3\):
- Start by selecting some x-values to calculate corresponding y-values for \(f(x)\) and plot these points.
- For \(g(x)\), remember the transformations: compress horizontally by 2 and shift vertically down by 3.
- As you compute, say for x = 1, evaluate \(g(x) = (2 \times 1)^4 - 3\) to plot points on \(g(x)\).
- Smoothly connect your points to reveal the curves of both functions, noting differences due to transformations.
- Graphing allows you to observe the change in shape, width, and position, brought by transformations.