Name ___________________ Absolute Value Functions Graphing Calculator Activity

Date _______

Directions to graph an absolute value function on a calculator:

Make sure you are using Zoom 6:

To clear your equations:

Use your graphing calculator to answer the following questions.

1) On your calculator, graph the following functions:

y x y2 x y3 x y5 x

a) What do these graphs have in common?

b) Describe how the graph of y a x changes as a increases. Assume a > 0.

c) Write an absolute value function whose graph is between the graphs of y 2 x and
y 3 x .

d) Graph y x and y x on the same screen. Then graph y 2 x and y 2 x . What is true in each case?

e) In general, what is true about the graph of y a x when a < 0?

2) Compare the graph of y x with the graph y 2 x and with the graph y x 2 . What is the difference?

3) On your calculator, graph the following functions:

y x y .75 x y .25 x

a) What do these graphs have in common?

b) Describe how the graph of y a x changes as a decreases. Assume a > 0.

4) Graph y x and y x 2 2 . a) How are the graphs the same?

b) How are they different?

c) What is the vertex of each graph?

5) What function was typed into the calculator to produce each of the following graphs? Check your answers by graphing each one on the calculator. a) b)

c)

d)