Chapter 4: Problem 10
In Exercises 9-24, sketch the graph of each sinusoidal function over one period. $$ y=3-\cos x $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
Graph the key points: \((0, 2), (\pi/2, 3), (\pi, 4), (3\pi/2, 3), (2\pi, 2)\). Connect to sketch the sinusoidal wave over one period.
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Basic Cosine Function
The basic cosine function has the equation: \( y = \cos x \). Its graph has a period of \( 2\pi \), an amplitude of 1, and it starts at the maximum value of 1 when \( x = 0 \).
02
Adjust the Amplitude and Vertical Shift
For the function \( y = 3 - \cos x \), the amplitude (value in front of the cosine function) is 1, since there is no coefficient directly in front of \( \cos x \). However, there's a vertical shift of +3. This means every point on the cosine curve is shifted up by 3 units.
03
Determine the Key Points
For one period, the basic cosine function \( \cos x \) has key points at \( (0, 1), (\pi/2, 0), (\pi, -1), (3\pi/2, 0), (2\pi, 1) \). With the vertical shift, these key points for \( y = 3 - \cos x \) become: \((0, 3-1), (\pi/2, 3-0), (\pi, 3+1), (3\pi/2, 3-0), (2\pi, 3-1)\). Simplifying, these are \((0, 2), (\pi/2, 3), (\pi, 4), (3\pi/2, 3), (2\pi, 2)\).
04
Sketch the Graph
Now plot these key points on a graph. Starting from \( (0, 2) \), the curve will increase to \( (\pi/2, 3) \), reach its maximum at \( (\pi, 4) \), then decrease back to \( (3\pi/2, 3) \), and finally return to \( (2\pi, 2) \). This will complete one full period of the sinusoidal function.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Cosine Function
The cosine function is a fundamental trigonometric function often represented as \( y = \cos x \). It is periodic, which means it repeats its pattern over regular intervals. The typical graph of the cosine function has a period of \( 2\pi \), covering the x-values from 0 to \( 2\pi \) for one complete cycle.
- The graph of \( y = \cos x \) starts at its maximum value of 1, when \( x = 0 \).
- It moves down to 0 at \( x = \pi/2 \), reaches its minimum at \( x = \pi \) where \( y = -1 \), and goes back to 0 at \( x = 3\pi/2 \).
- Finally, it completes the cycle at \( x = 2\pi \), returning to the maximum value.
Amplitude
Amplitude refers to the distance from the middle of the wave to its peak or trough. For the basic cosine function \( y = \cos x \), the amplitude is 1, as the values fluctuate between -1 and 1.
In equations of the form \( y = a \cdot \cos x \), "a" represents the amplitude. The amplitude affects how "tall" the wave appears. For instance:
In equations of the form \( y = a \cdot \cos x \), "a" represents the amplitude. The amplitude affects how "tall" the wave appears. For instance:
- If \( a = 2 \), then the graph goes from -2 to 2, making the wave twice as tall.
- If \( a = 0.5 \), the values fluctuate from -0.5 to 0.5, resulting in a more "compressed" wave.
Vertical Shift
A vertical shift involves moving a graph up or down on the coordinate plane without altering its shape. In the function \( y = 3 - \cos x \), there is no scaling of the \( \cos x \) term, indicated by no multiplier before it. The graph is shifted vertically upwards by 3 units due to the "3" in front of the function.
- A vertical shift does not affect the function's period or amplitude, but rather its position on the y-axis.
- This means that each point on the basic cosine graph moves up by three units.
- For instance, if a cosine function originally peaked at \( y = 1 \), it will peak at \( y = 4 \) after this shift.
Graph Sketching
Graph sketching is the process of visually representing a function to understand its behavior over one period, or more. For drawing sinusoidal functions like \( y = 3 - \cos x \), sketching helps visualize the transformation done by shifts and scaling.
- Start by identifying any shifts: in our exercise, it's a vertical shift of +3.
- Plot key points based on the shift. For example: \( (0,2), (\pi/2,3), (\pi,4), (3\pi/2,3), (2\pi,2) \).
- Draw a smooth, continuous curve linking these points, ensuring it follows the upward and downward nature of cosines.