LESSON

Elementary Functions and Transformation of Functions

7

Objectives

1. Familiarize with the seven elementary functions

2. Transform functions using vertical and horizontal shifts
3. Transform functions using reflections, stretches, and shrinks

Illustrative Examples

Elementary Functions
Function of a single variable (typically real or complex) that is defined as taking sums,
products, and compositions of finitely many polynomials, rational, trigonometric, hyperbolic
and exponential functions, including possibly their inverse functions.

Seven Elementary Functions and Their Graphs

Identity Function
• Evaluating any value for  x  will result in that same value.
• For example, f(0)=0 and f(2)=2.

Domain: All Reals

Range: All Reals

Squaring Function
• Function obtained by squaring the values in the domain
• For example,  f ( 2 ) =22=4  and  f (−2 )=−22=4.
• The result of squaring nonzero values in the domain will always be positive.

Domain: All Reals

Range: [0, ∞)

Cubing Function
• Raises all of the values in the domain to the third power
• The results can be either positive, zero, or negative.
• For example,  f ( 1 ) =13=1 , f ( 0 )=03 =0 , and f (−1 ) =−13=−1

Domain: All Reals

Range: All Reals
Square Root Function
• Not defined to be a real number if the x-values are negative
• The smallest value in the domain is zero
• For example,  f ( 0 )=√ 0=0 and  f ( 4 ) =√ 4=2 .

Domain: [0, ∞)
Range: [0, ∞)

Absolute Value Function

• A function where the output represents the distance to the origin on a number line
• The result of evaluating the absolute value function for any nonzero value of x will
always be positive. 
• For example, f(−2)=|−2|=2and f(2)=|2|=2.

Domain: All Reals

Range: [0, ∞)

Reciprocal Function
• A rational function with one restriction on the domain, namely x≠0
The reciprocal of an x-value very close to
zero is very large.  The result of the reciprocal function is
very small if x-values are very large.
For example:
For example:
f( )
1
10
1
1
10
= =1 ∙ =10
1 f ( 10 )=
1
=0.1
10 10

1
f ( )
1
100
=
1
1
=1 ∙
100
1
=10 0 f ( 100 )=
100
=0.01

100

Exponential Function
 • Functions that raise a constant to a variable exponent

Domain: All Reals

Range: [0, ∞)

Logarithmic Function
• Inverse function of the exponent

Domain: [0, ∞)
Range: All Reals

Vertical and Horizontal Shifts

Vertical Shifts
• The graph of y = f(x) + c is obtained by shifting the graph of y = f(x) upward a distance
of c units.
• The graph of y = f(x) – c is obtained by shifting the graph of y = f(x) downward a
distance of c units.
2
f ( x )=x

f ( x )=x 2 +1

f ( x )=x 2−2

f ( x )=x 2−5

Horizontal Shifts
• The graph of y = f(x + c) is obtained by shifting the graph of y = f(x) to the left a
distance of c units.
• The graph of y = f(x – c) is obtained by shifting the graph of y = f(x) to the right a
distance of c units.

f ( x )=x 2

2
f ( x )=( x+ 1)

f ( x )=( x−2)2

f ( x )=(x−5)2
Combining Vertical and Horizontal Shifts

Use the graph of f ( x )=x 2 to obtain the graph of h ( x )=( x +1 )2−3.

Reflection
• The graph of –f(x) is the reflection of the graph of f(x) across the x-axis.
• The graph of f(-x) is the reflection of the graph of f(x) across the y-axis.
• If a point (a, b) is on the graph of f(x), then (a, -b) is on the graph of –f(x), and (-
a, b) is on the graph of f(-x).
Horizontal Stretching and shrinking
• If a point (x, y) lies on the graph of y = f(x), then the point (x/c, y) lies on the
graph of y=f(cx).
• If 0 < c < 1, then the graph of y = f(cx) is a horizontal stretching of the graph of
y = f(x)
• If c > 1, then the graph of y = f(cx) is a horizontal shrinking of the graph of y =
f(x)
Vertical Stretching and shrinking
• If a point (x, y) lies on the graph of y = f(x), then the point (x, cy) lies on the
graph of y=cf(x).
• If c > 1, then the graph of y = cf(x) is a vertical stretching of the graph of y =
f(x) by a applying a factor of c.
• If 0 < c < 1, then the graph of y = cf(x) is a vertical shrinking of the graph of y =
f(x) by a applying a factor of c.
Combining Stretching, Shrinking, and Reflecting
• Transformations of functions can be combined to obtain the graphs of more
complex functions.
1 2
Example 1: Sketch the graph of g ( x )= x −3.
2
 Activity

2
f ( x )=x
A. Describe the transformation necessary to transform the graph of f(x) into that
of g(x).
1. f ( x )= √ x g ( x )=−3 √ x−1

Answer: Stretched by a factor of 3, reflect across x – axis and shifted

vertically one unit downward
3
2. f ( x )=x 3 g ( x )=3 ( x+1 )

Answer: Stretched by a factor of 3 and shifted horizontally to the left one

unit
B. Describe the transformation necessary to transform the graph of f(x) into that of
g(x).
3.

Answer: Reflect across x-axis and shifted horizontally to the left three units
C. Transform the given function f(x) as described and write the resulting function as an
equation.
4. f ( x )=x 2
Stretched by a factor of 2, shifted vertically 3 units downward
Answer: g ( x )=2 x 2−3
5. f ( x )=| x|
Shifted horizontally one unit to the right, shifted vertically 3 units upward
Answer: g ( x )=|( x−1 )2|+3
6. f ( x )=x 3
Stretched by a factor of 4, reflect across x-axis and shifted horizontally to the
right 5 units
Answer: g ( x )=−4 ¿ ¿

Assessment

Activity
Elementary Functions and Transformation of Functions

I. Describe the transformation necessary to transform the graph of f(x) into that of
g(x).
1 2
1. f ( x )=x 2 g ( x )= x +6
2
2. f ( x )=| x| g ( x )=|x +6|−5
3. f ( x ) =x g ( x )=2(x−5)
4. f ( x )=| x| g ( x )=2 ( x −6 ) +3
5. f ( x )=| x| g ( x )=−2 ( x+2 )2 +5
II. Transform the given function f(x) as described and write the resulting function as
an equation.
6. f ( x )= √ x
Stretched by a factor of 4, reflect across x-axis and shifted vertically 5 units
downward
1
7. f ( x )=
x
Shifted horizontally 3 units to the left, shifted vertically 6 units downward
8. f ( x )=x
Stretched by a factor of 3, reflect across x-axis and shifted horizontally 7 units to
the left.

Answer Key

Test I.
1. Stretched by a factor of ½, shifted vertically 6 units upward
2. Shifted horizontally 6 units to the left and shifted vertically 5 units downward
3. Stretched by a factor of 2, shifted horizontally 5 units to the right
4. Stretched by a factor of 2, shifted horizontally 6 units to the right, shifted
vertically 3 units upward
5. Stretched by a factor of 2, reflect across the x-axis, shifted horizontally 2 units to
the left, shifted vertically 5 units upward
Test II.
6. f ( x )=−4 √ x−5
1
7. f ( x )= −6
x +3
8. f ( x )=−3( x+ 7)

Submitted by:

BERNADETH C. VILLANUEVA