Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

3.1: Functions
Objectives:
1- Determine whether a relation represents a function
2- Evaluate the value of a function and find the difference quotient of
𝒇(𝒙+𝒉)−𝒇(𝒙)
function
𝒉
3- Find the domain of a function defined by an equation
4- Form the sum, difference, product, and quotient of two functions.

1- Determine Whether a Relation Represents a Function

Example 1: Determine which of the following relations represent a function. If the

relation is a function, then state its domain and range.

a) For this relation, the domain represents the level of education and the range represents the
unemployment rate.

Function?
Domain:
Range:

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

b) For this relation, the domain represents the type of sandwich from a fast-food restaurant and
the range represents the fat No. (in grams)

Function?
Domain:
Range:

c) For this relation, the domain represents the weight (in carats) of pear-cut diamonds and the
range represents the price (in dollars).

Function?
Domain:
Range:

Example 2: Determine which of the relations represent a function. If it is a function,

state the domain and range.

a) {(𝟏, 𝟒), (𝟐, 𝟓), (𝟑, 𝟔), (𝟒, 𝟕)} Function?

Domain:
Range:

b) {(−𝟑, 𝟗), (−𝟐, 𝟒), (𝟎, 𝟎), (𝟏, 𝟏), (−𝟑, 𝟖)} Function?
Domain:

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Range:

c) {(𝟏, 𝟒), (𝟐, 𝟓), (𝟑, 𝟔), (𝟒, 𝟗)} Function?

(In the Lab) Domain:
Range:

Example 3: Determine if the equation 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 5 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

Example 4: Determine if the equation 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 1 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

Example 5: Determine if the equation 𝑦 3 + 3𝑥 = 5 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

3
Example 6: Determine if the equation 𝑦 = defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.
𝑥−1

Example 7: Determine if the equation |𝑦| + 𝑥 = 9 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 8: Determine if the equation 𝑦 = |𝑥| + 9 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

Example 9: Determine if the equation 𝑦 = √𝑥 − 1 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

Example 10: Determine if the equation 𝑥 = √𝑦 − 1 defines 𝑦 as a function of 𝑥.

(In the lab)

2- Find the Value of a Function and find the difference

𝒇(𝒙+𝒉)−𝒇(𝒙)
quotient of function
𝒉

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 11: Finding Value of Function

For the function 𝑓 defined by 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 , evaluate.

a) 𝑓(3) b) 𝑓(−𝑥) c) −𝑓(𝑥) d) 3𝑓(𝑥)

e) 𝑓(3𝑥) f) 𝑓(𝑥 + 3)

𝑓(1+ℎ)−𝑓(1) 𝑓(𝑥+ℎ)−𝑓(𝑥)
g) ,ℎ ≠ 0 h) , ℎ≠0
ℎ ℎ

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 12: Finding Value of Function

3𝑥−1
For the function 𝑓 defined by 𝑓(𝑥) = , evaluate.
4𝑥+5

a) 𝑓(−4) b) 𝑓(0) c) 𝑓(3) d) 𝑓(−𝑎)

e) 𝑓(𝑥 + 3)

Example 13: If 𝑔(𝑥) = 4𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 𝑐 and 𝑔(2) = 35 . What is the value of c?

𝑓(𝑥+ℎ)−𝑓(𝑥)
Example 14: Find the difference quotient, , ℎ ≠ 0 for the functions.
ℎ

a) 𝑓(𝑥) = 17

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

b) 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥 + 2 3
c) 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥

𝑥−𝐵
Example 15: If 𝑓(𝑥) = , 𝑓(7) = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓(6) is undefined. What are the values
𝑥−𝐴
of A 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵 ?

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

3- Find the Domain of function

The domain of function is all possible and allowed values of the variable 𝑥.

Type of Rule Example Domain

function

Polynomial All real Numbers 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 (−∞, ∞)

Rational =
𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑦
All Real numbers-{ D=0 } 3𝑥 𝑅 − {4} = (−∞, 4) ∪ (4, ∞)
𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑥−4

Radical Under Root(Radicand) ≥ zero ℎ(𝑡) = √3𝑡 − 12 [4, ∞)

Absolute value All real Numbers 𝑘(𝑥) = 7|2𝑥 − 5| (−∞, ∞)

Order pairs The set of x-coordinates {(2,3), (4,5), (6,7)} {2, 4, 6}

Example 16: Find the domain of each of the following functions.

𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 7 + 4𝑥 5 + 16 b) 𝑓(𝑥) = 7

7𝑥 9𝑥 + 2
𝑐) 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑑) 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑥2 −9 |𝑥| − 5

𝑡+1 7𝑥
𝑒) 𝑔(𝑡) = 𝑓) 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑡2 − 5𝑡 − 6 𝑥3 + 36𝑥

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 17: Find the domain of each of the following functions.

𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = √18 − 4𝑥 𝑥 2 − 36 𝑥−1

𝑏) 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑐) ℎ(𝑥) =
𝑥−6 |𝑥| + 1

𝑥−7
𝑑) 𝑘(𝑥) = √
𝑥+3

4- Form the Sum, Difference, Product, and Quotient of two

functions

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 18: Operations on Functions

Let 𝑓 and 𝑔 be two functions defined as
1 𝑥
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑥+2 𝑥−1
Find the following, and determine the domain in each case.
𝑎) (𝑓 − 𝑔)(𝑥) 𝑓
𝑎) ( ) (𝑥)
𝑔

Example 19: Operations on Functions

Let 𝑓 and 𝑔 be two functions defined as

𝑓(𝑥) = √4 − 𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔(𝑥) = √3 + 𝑥

Find the following, and determine the domain in each case.
𝑎) (𝑓 + 𝑔)(𝑥) 𝑏) (𝑓 ∙ 𝑔)(𝑥)

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Pre-Calculus _ Chapter 3

Example 20: Operations on Functions

Let 𝑓 and 𝑔 be two functions defined as
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 8
Find the following, and determine the domain in each case.
𝑎) (𝑓 − 𝑔)(𝑥) 𝑏) (𝑓 ∙ 𝑔)(𝑥)

Example 21: Operations on Functions

Let 𝑓 and 𝑔 be two functions defined as
√3𝑥 + 12 7𝑥 − 14
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔(𝑥) =
𝑥−5 √𝑥 − 1

Find the following, and determine the domain in each case.

a) Find the domain of 𝑓. b) Find the domain of 𝑔.

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