General Mathematics

Alternative Delivery Mode

Quarter 1 – Module 1: Realizing Functions
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio
Introduction

About This Module

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both from
public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping the learners meet
the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and
economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent learning
activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help learners acquire the
needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.
For the learner, you must understand that you have a mission here — to brush up on your skills,
improve your mind, or just have some fun. This module assume that you have some experience
with basic arithmetic — full exposure for a year or so, maybe a class you took some time ago, or
even just some preliminary concepts.
I divide the module into some general topics — from the beginning vocabulary and processes
and operations to the important tool of factoring to equations and applications. So you can dip
into the book wherever you want, to find the information you need.

Conventions Used in This Book

I don’t use many conventions in this module, but you should be aware of the following:
 When I introduce a new term, I put that term in italics and define it nearby (often in
parentheses).
 I express numbers or numerals either with the actual symbol, such as 8, or the written-out
word: eight. Operations, such as + are either shown as this symbol or written as plus. The
choice of expression all depends on the situation — and on making it perfectly clear for
you.

Icons Used in This Book

The little drawings in the margin of the module are there to draw your attention to specific text.
Here are the icons I use in this book:
What I Need to Know
This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.
What I Know

This part includes an activity that aims to check

what you already know about the lesson to take. If
you get all the answers correct (100%), you may
decide to skip this module.

What’s In

This is a brief drill or review to help you link the

current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New

In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced to

you in various ways such as a story, a song, a poem,
a problem opener, an activity or a situation.

What is It

This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

This comprises activities for independent practice to

solidify your understanding and skills of the topic.
You may check the answers to the exercises using
the Answer Key at the end of the module.
 This includes questions or blank sentence/paragraph
to be filled in to process what you learned from the
lesson.

This section provides an activity which will help

you transfer your new knowledge or skill into real
life situations or concerns.

This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of

mastery in achieving the learning competency.

In this portion, another activity will be given to you

to enrich your knowledge or skill of the lesson
learned. This also tends retention of learned
concepts.

This contains answers to all activities in the module.

This is a list of all sources used in developing this

module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the module. Use
a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities included in
the module.
 3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult
your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain deep
understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
What I Need to Know
At the end of the week, you will be able to:
 represent real- life situations using functions, including piecewise functions,
 evaluate functions and solve problems involving functions.
 perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, composition of functions, and
solve problems involving functions.

What I Know
A. Write the correct answer being asked on the blanks provided.
1. What’s the reciprocal of each of the following fractions?
a. 3⁄4 Answer: ___________
b. 6⁄11 Answer: ___________
c. 2 and 2⁄7 Answer: ___________
d. 41⁄48 Answer: ___________
2. Reduce the fraction 135⁄180 to lowest terms.
Answer: _____________
3. Which is the greater fraction: 1⁄5 or 2⁄9?
Answer: _____________
4. Multiply 2⁄5 by 4⁄9.
Answer: _____________
5. Divide 1⁄4 by 6⁄7.
Answer: _____________
6. Solve 3⁄7 + 4⁄11.
Answer: _____________
7. Subtract 10⁄11 – 4⁄7.
Answer: _____________
8. Evaluate the expression x2 + 5x + 4 when x = 3.

9. Simplify the expression x2 + 2x – 7x + 1.

10. Plot each of the following points on the Cartesian graph.

1. M = (5, 6)
2. N = (–6, –2)
3. O = (0, 0)
4. P = (–1, 2)
5. Q = (3, 0)
6. R = (0, 2)
What’s In
A quick review of your math lesson in junior high school that involves algebra, is a letter such as
x stands for an unknown number. A letter in algebra is called a variable because its value can
vary from one problem to the next. For instance, in the equation 10 – x = 8, x has a value of 2
because 10 – 2 = 8. But in the equation 2(x) = 12, x has a value of 6 because 2 · 6 = 12. Also, in
math, the most commonly used graph is the Cartesian graph (also called the Cartesian coordinate
system or the Cartesian plane). The Cartesian graph is basically two number lines that cross at 0.
These number lines are called the x-axis (which runs horizontally) and the y axis (which runs
vertically). These two axes (plural of axis) cross at a point called the origin.
Every point on the Cartesian graph is represented by a pair of numbers in parentheses, called a
set of Cartesian coordinates (or an ordered pair). The first number is called the x-coordinate, and
the second is called the y-coordinate.
In this lesson, we will tackle about relation and function. We will discuss how to identify a
relation from function, how to evaluate it to apply in our daily situation.

What’s New
A relation in which each x-coordinate is matched with only one y-coordinate is said to describe
y as a function of x. A relation is a rule that relates values from a set of values (called the
domain) to a second set of values (called the range).
A relation is a set of ordered pairs (x,y).
A fundamental idea in mathematics and its applications is that of a function, which tells how one
thing depends on others. A function is a relation where each element in the domain is related to
only one value in the range by some rule. It describes how change in one quantity corresponds to
change of another related quantity. For example, the cost of fuel a car owner spends depends on
the number of liters of gas he consumed when he drives his car.
In a sense, function is a set of ordered pairs (x,y) such that no two ordered pairs have the same x-
value but different y-values. Using functional notation, we can write f(x) = y, read as “f of x is
equal to y.” In particular, if (1, 2) is an ordered pair associated with the function f, then we say
that f(2) = 1.
Evaluating Functions
Evaluating a function means replacing the variable in the function, in this case x, with a value
from the function's domain and computing for the result. To denote that we are evaluating f at a
for some in the domain of f, we write f(a).
Operations on Functions
Addition and Subtraction:
a. Find the least common denominator (LCD) of both fractions.
b. Rewrite the fractions as equivalent fractions with the same LCD.
 c. The LCD is the denominator of the resulting fraction.
d. The sum or difference of the numerators is the numerator of the resulting fraction.
Multiplication:
a. Rewrite the numerator and denominator in terms of its prime factors.
b. Common factors in the numerator and denominator can be simplified as “1” (this is often
called “cancelling”).
c. Multiply the numerators together to get the new numerator.
d. Multiply the denominators together to get the new denominator.
Division:
To divide two fractions or rational expressions, multiply the dividend with the reciprocal
of the divisor

What is It
Introduction to Function
For us to further understand the distinction between relation and function, we will examine the
following examples.
Example 1. Which of the following relations are functions?
f = {(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 5), (4, 7)}
g = {(1,3), (1, 4), (2, 5), (2, 6), (3, 7)}
h = {(1, 3), (2, 6), (3, 9),….(n, 3n),…}
Solution. The relations f and h are functions because no two ordered pairs have the same
x-value but different y-values. Meanwhile, g is not a function because (1,3) and (1,4) are
ordered pairs with the same x-value but different y-values.
Relations and functions can be represented by mapping diagrams where the elements of the
domain are mapped to the elements of the range using arrows. In this case, the relation or
function is represented by the set of all the connections represented by the arrows.
Example 2. Which of the following mapping diagrams represent functions?
 Solution. The relations f and g are functions because each value y in Y is unique for a
specific value of x. The relation h is not a function because there is at least one element in
X for which there is more than one corresponding y-value. For example, x=7 corresponds
to y = 11 or 13. Similarly, x=2 corresponds to both y=17 or 19.
A relation between two sets of numbers can be illustrated by a graph in the Cartesian plane, and
that a function passes the vertical line test.

The Vertical Line Test

A graph represents a function if and only if each vertical line intersects the graph at
most once.

Example 3. Which of the following can be graphs of functions?

a.) b.)

c.) d.)

e.)

Solution. Graphs a.), b.), c.) are graphs of functions while d.) and e.) are not because they
do not pass the vertical line test.
The domain of a relation is the set of all possible values that the variable x can take.
Example 4. Identify the domain for each relation using set builder notation.
a. y = 2x + 1
b. y = x² - 2x + 2
c. x² + y² = 1
d. y= √ x +1
2 x+1
e. y=
x−1
Solution. The domains for the relations are as follows:
a.) { x : x є R } d.) { x : x є R, ≥ x -1 }
b.) { x : x є R } e.) { x : x є R, x ≠ 1 }
c.) { x : x є R, – 1 ≤ x ≤ 1 }

Functions as representations of real-life situations

Functions can often be used to model real situations. Identifying an appropriate functional model
will lead to a better understanding of various phenomena.
Example 5. Give a function C that can represent the cost of buying x meals, if one meal costs
P40.
Solution. Since each meal costs P40, then the cost function is C(x) = 40x.
Example 6. One hundred meters of fencing is available to enclose a rectangular area next to a
river (see figure). Give a function A that can represent the area that can be enclosed, in terms of
x.

Solution. The area of the rectangular enclosure is A = xy. We will write this as a function
of x. Since only 100 m of fencing is available, then x + 2y = 100 or y = (100 – x)/2 = 50 –
0.5x. Thus, A(x) = x(50 – 0.5x) = 50x – 0.5x².

Piecewise functions
Some situations can only be described by more than one formula, depending on the value of the
independent variable.
Example 7. A user is charged P300 monthly for a particular mobile plan, which includes 100
free text messages. Messages in excess of 100 are charged P1 each. Represent the monthly cost
for text messaging using the function t(m), where m is the number of messages sent in a month.
Solution. The cost of text messaging can be expressed by the piecewise function:
t ( m )= 300 ,∧if 0<m ≤100
{ 300+m,∧m>100

Evaluating Functions
Example 1. Evaluate the following functions at x = 1.5:
a. f(x) = 2x + 1
b. q(x) = x² - 2x + 2
c. g ( x )=√ ( x+1 )
2 x +1
d. r ( x )=
x−1
e. F ( x ) =⌊ x ⌋ +1 where ⌊ x ⌋ is the greatest integer function.
Solution. Substituting 1.5 for x in the functions above, we have
a. f(1.5) = 2(1.5) + 1 = 4
b. q(1.5) = (1.5)² - 2(1.5) + 2 = 1.25
c. g ( 1.5 )=√ ( 1.5+1 )= √ 2.5
2 (1.5 )+ 1 3+1
d. r ( 1.5 )= = =8
1.5−1 0.5
e. F ( 1.5 ) =⌊ 1.5 ⌋ +1=1+1=2

Example 2. Find g(-4) and r(1) where g and r are as defined in the previous example.
Solution. This is not possible because -4 is not in the domain of g(x) and 1 is not in the
domain of r(x).

Example 3. Evaluate the following functions, where f and q are as defined in

Example 1.
a. f(3x – 1) b. q(3x + 1)

Solution.
a. f(3x – 1) = 2(3x – 1) + 1 = 6x – 2 + 1 = 6x – 1
b. q(2x + 3) = (2x + 3)² – 2(2x + 3) + 1 = (4x² + 12x + 9) – 4x – 6 + 2 = 4x² + 8x + 5

Function Arithmetic
The operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of functions are defined by
the following examples.
1 2
Example 1. Find the sum of and .
x−3 x−5
Solution. The LCD of the two fractions is (x – 3)(x – 5) or x² – 8x + 15.
1 2 ( x−5 ) +2(x −3) x−5+2 x−6 3 x−11
+ = = =
x−3 x−5 ( x −3)( x−5) x ² – 8 x +15 x ² – 8 x+ 15

x2 −4 x−5 x2 −5 x +6
Example 2. Example 4. Find the product of 2 and 2 .
x −3 x +2 x −3 x −10
Solution. Express the numerators and denominators of the two rational expressions into their
prime factors. Multiply and cancel out common factors in the numerator and the denominator to
reduce the final answer to lowest terms. Note the similarity in the process between this example
and the previous one on fractions.

Division: To divide two fractions or rational expressions, multiply the dividend with the
reciprocal of the divisor.
2
Example 5. Divide 2 x + x −6 by x 2−2 x−8 .
2 x 2 +7 x+5 2 x 2−3 x−20
2 2
2 x + x −6 x −2 x−8
2
÷ 2
2 x +7 x+5 2 x −3 x−20

Definition. Let f and g be functions.

1. Their sum, denoted by f + g, is the function denoted by

2. Their difference, denoted by f – g, is the function denoted by

3. Their product, denoted by f · g, is the function denoted by

 4. Their quotient, denoted by f / g, is the function denoted by
, excluding the values of x where

Use the following functions below for Example 5.

Example 5. Determine the following functions.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Solution.
a. (v + g)(x) = (x² + 5x + 4) + (x² + 2x – 8)
= x² + x² + 5x + 2x + 4 – 8 = 2x² + 7x – 4
b. (f · p)(x) = (x + 3)(2x – 7) = 2x² – x – 21
x +7 ( x +3 ) ( 2−x ) +( x+7) −x 2+ 6+2 x −3 x + x +7
c. (f + h)(x) = ( x +3 ) +( )
2−x
=
2−x
=
2−x
13−x ² x ²−13
¿ =
2− x x +2
d. (p – f)(x) = (2x – 7) – (x + 3) = x – 10
x 2 +5 x+ 4
e. (v/g)(x)¿ 2
x +2 x−8
Use the following functions for example 6.
 f ( x )=2 x +1
 q ( x )=x 2−2 x +2
2 x +1
 r ( x )=
x−1
Example 6. Express the function f 1 ( x )=x 2 +3 as a sum or difference of the functions above.
Solution. The solution can involve some trial and error. Addq ( x ) and f ( x ) and check if the
sum is x 2+ 3.
 thus
Example 7. Express the function as the sum or difference of the given
functions.
Solution. Again, the solution can involve trial and error. Check if gives

Example 8. Express the function as a sum or difference of the given functions.

2 x +1
Solution. Because has as a denominator, then r ( x )= must be one of the
x−1
functions in our solution. Let us try to add f ( x ) andr ( x ):
2
2 x +1 ( 2 x +1 ) ( x −1 )+ ( 2 x +1 ) ( 2 x −x−1 ) +(2 x+1) 2 x ²+ x
f ( x ) +r ( x )=2 x +1+ = = = =f ₃(x )
x−1 x−1 x−1 x−1
Example 9. Write down the answers from the previous items in the notation denoted in the
definitions.
Solution.
a. f ₁( x )=q ( x ) + f ( x )= ( q+ f )( x )
b. f ₂ ( x )=q ( x )−f ( x )=( q−f )( x )
c. f ₃ (x)=f ( x ) +r ( x )=( f +r ) ( x )
Example 10. Express the function as a product or quotient of the
given functions.
Solution.
Since is cubic, then it is possibly the product of f (x) and g( x ).

Example 11. Express the function as a product or quotient of the given functions.
Solution. The function involves . The goal is to “get rid” of . This can
be done by dividing f ( x ) by r ( x ):

Definition. Let f and g be functions. The composite function denoted by ( f ◦ g) is defined by

( f ◦ g )( x )=f ( g ( x ) ). The process of obtaining a composite function is called function composition.

For examples 13 to 15, use the following functions

 2 x+1
f ( x )=2 x +1 g ( x )=√ x+1 f ( x )=
x−1

q ( x )=x 2−2 x +2 F ( x )=⌊ x ⌋ +1

Example 13. Find and simplify ( g ◦ f )( x ).
Solution.
Example 14. Find and simplify ( q ◦ f ) ( x ).
Solution.

Example 15. Find and simplify ( F ◦ p )( 5 ) .

Solution.

What’s More
To further strengthen your understanding, try to answer the following questions. You can refer to
the Answer Keys for the correct answers.
Introduction to Function
1. Is the relation {(0,0), (1,1), (2,4), (3,9), … (n, n²), …} a function?
Solution. Yes, it is a function.
2. Which of the following diagram represents a relation that is NOT a function?

Solution. C. All diagrams, except for C, represent a function

3. Can the graph of a circle be considered a function?
 Solution. No it cannot. A circle will fail a vertical line test.
4. Given the domain of y= √2−x using set builder notation.
Solution. {x : x є R, x ≤ 2}
5. Contaminated water is subjected to a cleaning process. The concentration of pollutants is
initially 10 mg per liter of water. If the cleaning process can reduce the pollutant by 5%
each hour, define a function that can represent the concentration of pollutants in the water
in terms of the number of hours that the cleaning process has taken place.
Solution. After 1 hour, the concentration of pollutants is (10)*(0.95). After 2 hours, it is
this value, times 0.95, or [(10)*(0.95)](0.95) = 10(0.95)2. In general, after t hours, the
concentration is C(t) = (10)(0.95)t mg per liter of water.
6. Squares of side x are cut from each corner of an 8 in x 5 in rectangle (see figure), so that
its sides can be folded to make a box with no top. Define a function in terms of x that can
represent the volume of this box.

Solution. The length and width of the box are 8 – 2x and 5 – 2x, respectively. Its height
is x. Thus, the volume of the box can be represented by the function.
V(x) = (8 – 2x)(5 – 2x)x = 40x – 26x² + 4x³
Evaluating Functions
1. Evaluate the following functions at x=3.
a. f ( x )=x−3
b. g ( x )=x 2−3 x+5
c. h ( x )=√ x 3+ x +3
x 2 +1
d. p ( x ) =
x−4
e. f ( x )=| x−5|where |x−5| means the absolute value of x – 5.
Solution.
a. .f ( 3 )=3−3=0
b. . g (3 )=( 3)2−3 ( 3 )+5=8
c. . h ( 3 )= √ 33 +3+3=√ 27+6=√3 33
32+ 1 10
d. . p ( 3 )= = =−10
3−4 −1
e. . f ( 3 ) =|3−5|=|−2|=2
 x +3
2. For what values of x can we not evaluate the function f ( x )= ?
x 2−4
Solution. The domain of the function is given by {x:x є R, ≠ ±2. Since 2 and -2 are not in
the domain, we cannot evaluate the function at x = -2, 2.
3. Evaluate f (a+b) where f ( x )=4 x ²−3 x.
Solution. f(a + b) = 4(a + b)² - 3(a + b) = 4(a² + 2ab + b²) – 3a – 3b
= 4a² - 3a + 8ab – 3b + 4b²
4. The velocity V (in m/s) of a ball thrown upward t seconds after the ball was thrown is
given by V(t) = 20 – 9.8t. Calculate V(0) and V(1), and explain what these results mean.

Solution. V(0) = 20 – 9.8(0) = 20 and V(1) = 20 – 9.8(1) = 10.2. These results indicate
that the initial velocity of the ball is 20 m/s. After 1 second, the ball is traveling more
sloat 10.2 m/s.
Function Arithmetic
1. Let , and . Find
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Solution.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. Let Find
a.
b.
c.
Solution.
a.

b.

c.

What I have Learned

 1. A relation is a rule that relates values from a set of values (called the domain) to a second
set of values (called the range).
2. A relation is a set of ordered pairs (x,y).
3. A function is a relation where each element in the domain is related to only one value in
the range by some rule.
4. Relations and functions can be represented by mapping diagrams where the elements of
the domain are mapped to the elements of the range using arrows.
5. A graph represents a function if and only if each vertical line intersects the graph at most
once.
6. A relation between two sets of numbers can be illustrated by a graph in the Cartesian
plane, and that a function passes the vertical line test.
7. The domain of a relation is the set of all possible values that the variable x can take.
8. Functions can often be used to model real situations. Identifying an appropriate
functional model will lead to a better understanding of various phenomena.
9. Some situations can only be described by more than one formula, depending on the value
of the independent variable.

What I Can Do
1. Which of the following statements represents a function?
a. Students to their current age.
b. Countries to its capital.
c. A store to its merchandise.

2. A person is earning P600 per day to do a certain job. Express the total salary S as a
function of the number n of days that the person works.
3. A computer shop charges 20 pesos per hour (or a fraction of an hour) for the first two
hours and an additional 10 pesos per hour for each succeeding hour. Represent your
computer rental fee using the function R(t) where t is the number of hours you spent on
the computer.
4. A taxi ride costs P40.00 for the first 500 meters, and each additional 300 meters (or a
fraction thereof) adds P3.50 to the fare. Use a piecewise function to represent the taxi fare
in terms of the distance d in meters.

Assessment
1. For which values of k is the set of order pairs {(2, 4), (k, 6), (4, k)} a function?

2. Which of the following letters will pass the vertical line test? V W X Y Z?

1
3. Give the domain of y= in set builder notation.
√ x 2−4
 4. A canned drink will be made using 40 in2 of aluminum. Let r be the radius of the can and
let h be the height. Define a function in terms of r that can represent the volume of the
can.

5. Temperature readings T (in ⁰ C) were recorded every three hours from midnight until 6
PM. The time t was measured in hours from midnight.

T 0 3 6 9 12 15 27
T 24 26 28 30 32 30 28
a. Use the data to sketch a rough graph of T as a function of t.
b. Assuming that the peak temperature was recorded during 12 noon, what do you
think is the temperature by 9 PM?

Additional Activities
1. An on-line comic book retailer charges shipping costs according to the following formula
f ( n )= 1.5 n+2.5 if 1≤ n ≤14
{ 0if n≥ 15
where n is the number of comic books purchased and S(n) is the shipping cost in dollars.
a. What is the cost to ship 10 comic books?
b. What is the significance of the formula S(n) = 0 for n ≥ 15?
2. The cost C (in dollars) to talk m minutes a month on a mobile phone plan is modeled by
C (m)=¿
e. How much does it cost to talk 750 minutes per month with this plan?
f. How much does it cost to talk 20 hours a month with this plan?

References

Carl Stitz, Ph.D., Jeff Zeager, Ph.D. (2013). Precalculus: Version ⌊ π ⌋ = 3, Corrected Edition.
Crauder, B., Evans, B., & Noell, A. (2008). Functions and change: A modeling approach to
college algebra and trigonometry. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Department of Education. (2016). General Mathematics Learner’s Material First Edition 2016.