Function Behavior Analysis: Effects of Constant Multiplication

Question

Determine whether the function described below is increasing, decreasing, or constant.

Each number is multiplied by the same number.

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Is the function increasing, decreasing, or constant?
00:03 Let's draw the function graph
00:13 Let's substitute X values and find the corresponding Y values
00:40 Now let's substitute negative X values to check the left side of the graph
01:02 We can see that the graph decreases until the origin and then increases
01:10 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

The function is:

f(x)=x2 f(x)=x^2

Let's start with x equal to 0:

f(0)=02=0 f(0)=0^2=0

Now let's assume x is equal to 1:

f(1)=12=1 f(1)=1^2=1

Now let's assume x is equal to 2:

f(2)=22=4 f(2)=2^2=4

Now let's assume x is equal to minus 1:

f(1)=(1)2=1 f(-1)=(-1)^2=1

Now let's assume x is equal to minus 2:

f(2)=(2)2=4 f(-2)=(-2)^2=4

Let's plot all the points on the function graph:

–5–5–5–4–4–4–3–3–3–2–2–2–1–1–1111222333444555666–1–1–1111222333444000

We can see that we got a function that is both increasing and decreasing.

Answer

Increasing and decreasing