Pre-Calculus 11: Chapter 7

May 04, 2011, 13:06

CHAPTER

7 Absolute Value and

Reciprocal Functions
Suppose you and your friend each live 2 km from your school,
but in opposite directions from the school. You could represent
these distances as 2 km in one direction and -2 km in the other
direction. However, you would both say that you live the same
distance, 2 km, from your school. The absolute value of the
distance each of you lives from your school is 2 km. Can you
think of other examples where you would use an absolute value?

Currency exchange is an example of a reciprocal relationship. If

1 euro is equivalent to 1.3 Canadian dollars, what is 1 Canadian
dollar worth in euros? If you take a balloon underwater, you can
represent the relationship between its shrinking volume and the
increasing pressure of the air inside the balloon as a reciprocal
function.
Depth (m) Pressure (atm) Air Volume (m3)
0 1 1
1
_
10 2
Is this depth change 2
20 m or -20 m? 1
_
20 3
Which value would 3
you use? Why? 1
_
30 4
4
1
_
40 5
5

In this chapter, you will learn about absolute value and

reciprocal functions. You will also learn how they are used
to solve problems.

We b Link
The relationship between the pressure and the volume of a confined gas
held at a constant temperature is known as Boyle’s law. To learn more about
Boyle’s law, go to www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.

Key Terms
absolute value absolute value equation
absolute value function reciprocal function
piecewise function asymptote
invariant point

356 MHR • Chapter 7

 Career Link
The job of a commercial diver is exciting,
dangerous, technically challenging,
and extremely important. Divers must
undergo both theoretical and practical
training involving physics, chemistry,
and mathematics.

We b Link
To learn
earn more about
a the job of a commercial diver,
go to www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.

The Newtsuit, a one-person submarine, is

the invention of Dr. Phil Nuytten, a Métis
scientist from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Chapter 7 • MHR 357

 7.1
Absolute Value
Focus on . . .
• determining the absolute values of numbers and expressions
• explaining how the distance between two points on a number line can be
expressed in terms of absolute value
• comparing and ordering the absolute values of real numbers in a given set

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, D i d You K n ow ?

was 40.6 °C on June 5, 1988. The coldest temperature, -50.0 °C, was In 1962 in Pincher
recorded on February 1, 1893. You can calculate the total temperature Creek, Alberta, a
difference as chinook raised the
temperature by 41 °C
-50.0 - 40.6 = d or 40.6 - (-50.0) = d (from -19 °C to
-90.6 = d 90.6 = d +22 °C) in 1 h. This is
a Canadian record for
Generally, you use the positive value, 90.6 °C, when describing the
temperature change
difference. Why do you think this is the case? Does it matter which in a day.
value you use when describing this situation? Can you describe a
situation where you would use the negative value?

Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

358 MHR • Chapter 7

 Investigate Absolute Value

1. Draw a number line on grid paper that is approximately 20 units Materials

long. Label the centre of the number line as 0. Label the positive • grid paper
and negative values on either side of zero, as shown. • ruler

-7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. Mark the values +4 and -4 on your number line. Describe their

distances from 0.
3. a) Plot two points to the right of zero. How many units are between
the two points?
b) Calculate the distance between the two points in two different ways.
4. Repeat step 3 using two points to the left of zero.
5. Repeat step 3 using one point to the right of zero and one point to
the left.
6. What do you notice about the numerical values of your calculations
and the number of units between each pair of points you chose in
steps 3, 4, and 5?
7. What do you notice about the signs of the two calculated distances
for each pair of points in steps 3, 4, and 5?

Reflect and Respond

8. Identify three different sets of points that have a distance of 5 units
between them. Include one set of points that are both positive,
one set of points that are both negative, and one set containing a
positive and a negative value. How did you determine each set
of points?
9. Explain why the distance from 0 to +3 is the same as the distance
from 0 to -3. Why is the distance referred to as a positive number?

7.1 Absolute Value • MHR 359

 Link the Ideas

absolute value For a real number a, the absolute value is written as |a| and is a
positive number.
a, if a ≥ 0
• |a| = { -a, if a < 0 Two vertical bars around a number or expression are used to
represent the absolute value of the number or expression.
For example,
• The absolute value of a positive number is the positive number.
|+5| = 5
• The absolute value of zero is zero.
|0| = 0
• The absolute value of a negative number is the negative of that
number, resulting in the positive value of that number.
|-5| = -(-5)
=5
Absolute value can be used to represent the distance of a number
from zero on a real-number line.
|-5| = 5 |+5| = 5

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
In Chapter
___ 5, you learned
that √x 2 = x only when x 5 units 5 units
is positive.

How can you use this In general, the absolute value of a real number a is defined as
fact and the definition of a, if a ≥ 0
absolute
___value to show
that √x 2 = |x|?
|a| = {-a, if a < 0

Example 1
Determining the Absolute Value of a Number
Evaluate the following.
a) |3|
b) |-7|

Solution
a) |3| = 3 since |a| = a for a ≥ 0.

b) |-7| = -(-7)
=7
since |a| = -a for a < 0.

Your Turn
Evaluate the following.
a) |9|
b) |-12|

360 MHR • Chapter 7

Example 2
Compare and Order Absolute Values
Write the real numbers in order from least to greatest.
|-6.5|, 5, |4.75|, -3.4, - _
12 , |-0.1|, -0.01, -2 _
| | 1
| |
5 2
Solution
First, evaluate each number and express it in decimal form.
6.5, 5, 4.75, -3.4, 2.4, 0.1, -0.01, 2.5
Then, rearrange from least to greatest value.
-3.4, -0.01, 0.1, 2.4, 2.5, 4.75, 5, 6.5
Now, show the original numbers in order from least to greatest.
-3.4, -0.01, |-0.1|, - _
12 , -2 _
| 1 , |4.75|, 5, |-6.5|
|| |
5 2
Your Turn
Write the real numbers in order from least to greatest.
13 , |-0.5|, -1.25, -3 _
|3.5|, -2, |-5.75|, 1.05, - _ 1
4 | | 3 | |
Absolute value symbols should be treated in the same manner as
brackets. Evaluate the absolute value of a numerical expression by first
applying the order of operations inside the absolute value symbol, and
then taking the absolute value of the result.

Example 3
Evaluating Absolute Value Expressions
Evaluate the following.
a) |4| - |-6| b) 5 - 3|2 - 7| c) |-2(5 - 7)2 + 6|

Solution
a) |4| - |-6| = 4 - 6
= -2

b) 5 - 3|2 - 7| = 5 - 3|-5|
= 5 - 3(5)
= 5 - 15
= -10

c) |-2(5 - 7)2 + 6| = |-2(-2)2 + 6| Apply the order of

= |-2(4) + 6| operations to evaluate
the expression inside the
= |-8 + 6| absolute value symbol.
= |-2|
= 2
Your Turn
Evaluate the following.
a) |-4| - |-3| b) |-12 + 8| c) |12(-3) + 52|

7.1 Absolute Value • MHR 361

 Example 4
Change in Stock Value
On stock markets, individual stock and bond values fluctuate a great
deal, especially when the markets are volatile. A particular stock on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) opened the month at $13.55 per share,
dropped to $12.70, increased to $14.05, and closed the month at $13.85.
Determine the total change in the value of this stock for the month. This
total shows how active the stock was that month.

Solution
Represent the stock values by V1 = 13.55, V2 = 12.70, V3 = 14.05, and
V4 = 13.85. Calculate each change in stock value using |Vi + 1 - Vi|,
where i = 1, 2, 3.
Did Yo u Know ? Calculate each change in stock value and find Does the order in
the sum of these changes. which the values are
Calculate the net subtracted matter?
change of a stock as |V2 - V1| + |V3 - V2| + |V4 - V3|
the closing value of = |12.70 - 13.55| + |14.05 - 12.70| + |13.85 - 14.05|
the stock minus the
= |-0.85| + |+1.35| + |-0.20|
opening value.
= 0.85 + 1.35 + 0.20
Net change = 2.40
= $13.85 - $13.55
= $0.30 The total change in stock value for the month Why would an investor find
the volatility of a particular
is $2.40.
stock useful when making
investment decisions?
Your Turn
Wesley volunteers at a local hospital because he is interested in a career
in health care. One day, he takes the elevator from the first floor up to the
sixth floor to see his supervising nurse. His list of tasks for that day sends
him down to the second floor to work in the gift shop, up to the fourth
floor to visit with patients, and down to the first floor to greet visitors
and patients. What is the total change in floors for Wesley that day?

362 MHR • Chapter 7

 Key Ideas

The absolute value of a real number a is defined as

|a| = { a,-a,if ifa a≥<0 0

Geometrically, the absolute value of a real number a, written as |a|, is its
distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction.
Determine the absolute value of a numerical expression by
 evaluating the numerical expression inside the absolute value symbol
using the order of operations
 taking the absolute value of the resulting expression

Check Your Understanding

Practise 6. Determine the value of each absolute

1. Evaluate. value expression.
a) |9| b) |0| a) 2|-6 - (-11)|
c) |-7| d) |-4.728| b) |-9.5| - |12.3|

e) |6.25| f) |-5 _21 | c) 3 | _12 | + 5|- _34 |

2. Order the numbers from least to greatest. d) |3(-2)2 + 5(-2) + 7|
|0.8|, 1.1, |-2|, _
3 , -0.4, -1 _1 , -0.8
5 | | 4 | | e) |-4 + 13| + |6 - (-9)| - |8 - 17| + |-2|

3. Order the numbers from greatest to least.

Apply
-2.4, |1.3|, - _7 , -1.9, |-0.6|, 1 _
| | 1 , 2.2
| | 7. Use absolute value symbols to write an
5 10
4. Evaluate each expression.
expression for the length of each horizontal
or vertical line segment. Determine each
a) |8 - 15| b) |3| - |-8| length.
c) |7 - (-3)| d) |2 - 5(3)| a) A(8, 1) and B(3, 1)
5. Use absolute value symbols to write an b) A(12, 9) and B(-8, 9)
expression for the distance between each
c) A(6, 2) and B(6, 9)
pair of specified points on the number
line. Determine the distance. d) A(-1, -7) and B(-1, 15)
A B C D e) A(a, y) and B(b, y)
-6.7 -3.4 0 2.1 5.8 f) A(x, m) and B(x, n)
a) A and C b) B and D
c) C and B d) D and A

7.1 Absolute Value • MHR 363

 8. Southern Alberta often experiences dry 10. The Alaska Highway runs from Dawson
chinook winds in winter and spring Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction,
that can change temperatures by a large Alaska. Travel guides along the highway
amount in a short time. On a particular mark historic mileposts, from mile 0
day in Warner, Alberta, the temperature in Dawson Creek to mile 1422 in Delta
was -11 °C in the morning. A chinook Junction. The table shows the Ramsay
wind raised the temperature to +7 °C by family’s trip along this highway.
afternoon. The temperature dropped to Mile
-9 °C during the night. Use absolute value Destination Number
symbols to write an expression for the total Starting
Charlie Lake campground 51
change in temperature that day. What is the Point
total change in temperature for the day? Tuesday Liard River, British Columbia 496

D id Yo u Know ? Wednesday Whitehorse, Yukon Territory 918

Thursday Beaver Creek,
A First Nations legend of the St’at’imc Nation of 1202
Yukon Territory
British Columbia says that a girl named Chinook-Wind
married Glacier and moved to his country. In this Haines Junction,
1016
Yukon Territory
foreign land, she longed for her home and sent a
message to her people. They came to her first in Friday Delta Junction, Alaska 1422
a vision of snowflakes, then rain, and finally as a
Use an expression involving absolute value
melting glacier that took her home.
symbols to determine the total distance, in
miles, that the Ramsay family travelled in
9. Suppose a straight stretch of highway
these four days.
running west to east begins at the town of
Allenby (0 km). The diagram shows the
distances from Allenby east to various
towns. A new grain storage facility is to
be built along the highway 24 km east
of Allenby. Write an expression using
absolute value symbols to determine the
total distance of the grain storage facility
from all seven towns on the highway
for this proposed location. What is the
distance?
0 10 17 30 42 55 72
Allenby Crawley Denford Essex Fortier Grey
Birkend Ridge

D i d You K n ow ?

In 1978, the mileposts along the Canadian section

were replaced with kilometre posts. Some mileposts
at locations of historic significance remain, although
reconstruction and rerouting mean that these markers
no longer represent accurate driving distances.

364 MHR • Chapter 7

11. When Vanessa 14. The Yukon Quest dog sled race runs
Date Balance
checks her bank between Fairbanks, Alaska, and
Oct. 4 $359.22
account on-line, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, a distance
Oct. 12 $310.45
it shows the of more than 1000 mi. It lasts for 2 weeks.
Oct. 17 $295.78 The elevation at Fairbanks is 440 ft, and
following
balances: Oct. 30 $513.65 the elevation at Whitehorse is 2089 ft.
Nov. 5 $425.59
Circle City
a) Use an absolute value expression to Central Eagle
Mile 101 Dawson City
determine the total change in Vanessa’s North
Slaven’s
Cabin Pelly Crossing
Pole
bank balance during this period.

Alaska
Chena Hot

Yukon
Carmacks
Scroggie
Springs Creek McCabe
Fairbanks
b) How is this different from the net Creek

Braeburn
change in her bank balance? Rosebud
Eagle
American
Summit
King Solomon’s
Dome Whitehorse
Summit 4002 ft
Summit 3420 ft
3640 ft
12. In physics, the amplitude of a wave is 3685 ft

2250 ft
measured as the absolute value of the 2326 ft
2089 ft
1558 ft 1722 ft
difference between the crest height and the 440 ft
1550 ft 935 ft
597 ft
880 ft
1050 ft

trough height of the wave, divided by 2.

|crest height - trough height|
Amplitude = ______ a) Determine the net change in elevation
2
from Fairbanks to Whitehorse.
crest
b) The race passes through Central, at an
elevation of 935 ft; Circle City, whose
one cycle elevation is 597 ft; and Dawson City,
at an elevation of 1050 ft. What is the
amplitude total change in elevation from Fairbanks
trough
to Whitehorse, passing through
Determine the amplitude of waves these cities?
with the following characteristics.
D i d You K n ow ?
a) crest at height 17 and trough at height 2
The Yukon Quest has run every year since 1984. The
b) crest at height 90 and trough at
race follows the historic Gold Rush and mail delivery
height -90
dog sled routes from the turn of the 20th century.
c) crest at height 1.25 and trough at In even-numbered years, the race starts in Fairbanks
height -0.5 and ends in Whitehorse. In odd-numbered years, the
race starts in Whitehorse and ends in Fairbanks.
13. The Festival du Voyageur is an annual
Francophone winter festival held in
Manitoba. One of the outdoor events at the
festival is a snowshoe race. A possible trail
Extend
15. A trading stock opens the day at a value of
for the race is 2 km long, with the start at
$7.65 per share, drops to $7.28 by noon,
0 km; checkpoints at 500 m, 900 m, and
then rises to $8.10, and finally falls an
1600 m; and the finish at 2 km. Suppose
unknown amount to close the trading day.
a race organizer travels by snowmobile
If the absolute value of the total change for
from the start to the 1600-m checkpoint,
this stock is $1.55, determine the amount
back to the 900-m checkpoint, then out
that the stock dropped in the afternoon
to the finish line, and finally back to the
before closing.
500-m checkpoint. Use an absolute value
expression to determine the total distance
travelled by the race organizer, in metres
and in kilometres.

7.1 Absolute Value • MHR 365

16. As part of a scavenger hunt, Toby collects 20. In the Millikan oil drop experiment, oil
items along a specified trail. Starting at drops are electrified with either a positive
the 2-km marker, he bicycles east to the or a negative charge and then sprayed
7-km marker, and then turns around and between two oppositely charged metal
bicycles west back to the 3-km marker. plates. Since an individual oil drop will
Finally, Toby turns back east and bicycles be attracted by one plate and repelled by
until the total distance he has travelled is the other plate, the drop will move either
15 km. upward or downward toward the plate
a) How many kilometres does Toby travel of opposite charge. If the charge on the
in the last interval? plates is reversed, the oil drop is forced
to reverse its direction and thus stay
b) At what kilometre marker is Toby at the
suspended indefinitely.
end of the scavenger hunt?
cover
17. Mikhala and Jocelyn are examining
some effects of absolute value on the
sum of the squares of the set of values oil
spray
{-2.5, 3, -5, 7.1}. Mikhala takes the microscope
several d
absolute value of each number and then
thousand
squares it. Jocelyn squares each value and volts
then takes the absolute value.
uniform electric field
a) What result does each student get?
Suppose an oil drop starts out at 45 mm
b) Explain the results.
below the upper plate, moves to a point
c) Is this always true? Explain. 67 mm below the upper plate, then to a
18. a) Michel writes the expression |x - 5|, point 32 mm from the upper plate, and
where x is a real number, without the finally to a point 58 mm from the upper
absolute value symbol. His answer is plate. What total distance does the oil
shown below. drop travel during the experiment?

|x - 5| = { x-(x- 5,- 5),

if x - 5 ≥ 0
if x - 5 < 0 Create Connections
x - 5, if x ≥ 5 21. Describe a situation in which the
|x - 5| = { absolute value of a measurement is
5 - x, if x < 5
preferable to the actual signed value.
Explain the steps in Michel’s solution.
22. When an object is thrown into the air,
b) If x is a real number, then write each
it moves upward, and then changes
of the following without the absolute
direction as it returns to Earth. Would
value symbol.
it be more appropriate to use signed
i) |x - 7| ii) |2x - 1| values (+ or -) or the absolute value for
iii) |3 - x| iv) |x2 + 4| the velocity of the object at any point in
19. Julia states, “To determine the absolute its flight? Why? What does the velocity
value of any number, change the sign of of the object at the top of its flight have
the number.” Use an example to show to be?
that Julia is incorrect. In your own
words, correctly complete the statement,
“To determine the absolute value of a
number, ….”

366 MHR • Chapter 7

23. A school volleyball team has nine players. 24. When writing a quadratic function
The heights of the players are 172 cm, in vertex form, y = a(x - p)2 + q, the
181 cm, 178 cm, 175 cm, 180 cm, 168 cm, vertex of the graph is located at (p, q).
177 cm, 175 cm, and 178 cm. If the function has zeros, or its graph
has x-intercepts, you can find___them

using the equation x = p ± _q .

√| |a
a) Use this equation to find the zeros
of each quadratic function.
i) y = 2(x + 1)2 - 8
ii) y = -(x + 2)2 + 9
How could you verify that the zeros
are correct?
a) What is the mean height of the players? b) What are the zeros of the function
b) Determine the absolute value of the y = 4(x - 3)2 + 16? Explain whether
difference between each individual’s or not you could use this method to
height and the mean. Determine the determine the zeros for all quadratic
sum of the values. functions written in vertex form.
___
c) Divide the sum by the number of players. 25. Explain, using examples, why √x 2 = |x|.
d) Interpret the result in part c) in terms
of the height of players on this team.

Project Corner Space Tourism

Assume the following for the future of

space tourism.
• The comfort and quality of a cruise ship
are available for travel in outer space.
• The space vehicle in which tourists travel
is built within specified tolerances for
aerodynamics, weight, payload capacity, and
life-support systems, to name a few criteria.
• Each space vehicle leaves Earth within a
given launch window.
• The distance of Earth from other celestial destinations changes at
different times of the year.
• The quantity of fuel on board the space vehicle determines its range of travel.
• How might absolute value be involved in these design and preparation issues?

7.1 Absolute Value • MHR 367

 7.2
Absolute Value
Functions
Focus on . . .
• creating a table of values for y = |f(x)|, given a
table of values for y = f(x)
• sketching the graph of y = |f(x)| and determining
its intercept(s), domain, and range
• generalizing a rule for writing absolute value
functions in piecewise notation

Stroboscopic photography involves using a fl flashing

hi strobe
t b lilight
ht and
da
camera with an open shutter. You must take stroboscopic photographs in
darkness so that every time the strobe flashes, you take a still image of a
moving object at that instant. Shown here is a stroboscopic photograph
following the path of a bouncing ball. To measure the total vertical
distance the ball travels as it bounces over a certain time interval, use
the absolute value of the function that models the height over time. What
type of function would you use to model the height of this bouncing ball
over time?

Investigate Absolute Value Functions

Materials In this activity, you will explore the similarities and differences between
• grid paper linear, quadratic, and absolute value functions.
Part A: Compare Linear Functions With Corresponding Absolute Value
Functions
Consider the functions f(x) = x and g(x) = |x|.
1. Copy the table of values. Use the values of f (x) to
determine the values of g(x) and complete the table. What happens to
the value of the
x f(x) g (x)
functions f(x) and
-3 -3 g(x) when the
-2 -2 values of x are
negative?
-1 -1
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3

2. Use the coordinate pairs to sketch graphs of the

functions on the same grid.

368 MHR • Chapter 7

Reflect and Respond
3. Which characteristics of the two graphs are similar and which
are different?
4. From the graph, explain why the absolute value relation is
a function.
5. a) Describe the shape of the graph of g(x).
b) If you could sketch the graph of g(x) using two linear functions,
what would they be? Are there any restrictions on the domain
and range of each function? If so, what are they?

Part B: Compare Quadratic Functions With Corresponding Absolute

Value Functions
Consider the functions f(x) = x2 - 3 and h(x) = |x2 - 3|.
6. Copy the table of values. Use the values of f(x) to
determine the values of h(x) and complete the table.
x f(x) h (x)
-3 6
When are the
-2 1
values of f(x) and
-1 -2 h(x) the same and
0 -3 when are they
different?
1 -2
2 1
3 6

7. Use the coordinate pairs to sketch the graphs of f (x)

and h(x) on the same grid.

Reflect and Respond

8. Which characteristics of the two graphs are similar and which
are different?
9. a) For what values of x are the graphs of f(x) and h(x) the same?
different?
b) If you could sketch the graph of h(x) using two quadratic
functions, what would they be? Are there any restrictions on
the domain and range of each function? If so, what are they?
10. Describe how the graph of a linear or quadratic function is
related to its corresponding absolute value graph.

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 369

 Link the Ideas

absolute value The vertex, (0, 0), divides the graph of this absolute value function
function y = |x| into two distinct pieces.
• a function that involves y
the absolute value of a y = |x|
variable 4

-4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2

-4
y=x

For all values of x less than zero, the y-value is -x. For all values of
x greater than or equal to zero, the y-value is x. Since the function is
defined by two different rules for each interval in the domain, you can
piecewise function define y = |x| as the piecewise function
• a function composed of
two or more separate
functions or pieces,
y= { x,-x,if ifx x≥<0 0
each with its own
specific domain, that
The graph shows how y = |x| is related to the graph of y = x. Since |x|
combine to define the cannot be negative, the part of the graph of y = x that is below the x-axis
overall function is reflected in the x-axis to become the line y = -x in the interval x < 0.
• the absolute value The part of the graph of y = x that is on or above the x-axis is zero or
function y = |x| can
positive and remains unchanged as the line y = x in the interval x ≥ 0.
be defined as the
piecewise function
x, if x ≥ 0
{
y = -x, if x < 0
Example 1
Graph an Absolute Value Function of the Form y = |ax + b|
Consider the absolute value function y = |2x - 3|.
a) Determine the y-intercept and the x-intercept.
b) Sketch the graph.
c) State the domain and range.
d) Express as a piecewise function.

Solution
a) To determine the y-intercept, let x = 0 and solve for y.
y = |2x - 3|
y = |2(0) - 3|
y = |-3|
y=3
The y-intercept occurs at (0, 3).

370 MHR • Chapter 7

 To determine the x-intercept, set y = 0 and solve for x.
|2x - 3| = 0
2x - 3 = 0 Since |0| = 0, |2x - 3| = 0 when 2x - 3 = 0.
2x = 3
x=_ 3
2
The x-intercept occurs at _ 3, 0 .
( )
2
b) Method 1: Sketch Using a Table of Values
Create a table of values, using the x-intercept and values to the
right and left of it.
Sketch the graph using the points in the table.
x y = |2x - 3| y

-1 5 6

0 3 4
(0, 3)
_3 0 y = |2x - 3|
2 2

3 3 2 ( )
3, 0
_

-2 0 2 4 6 x
4 5

Method 2: Sketch Using the Graph of y = 2x - 3

Use the graph of y = 2x - 3 to graph y = |2x - 3|.
Sketch the graph of y = 2x - 3, which is a line with a slope
of 2 and a y-intercept of -3.

The x-intercept of the original function is the x-intercept of the

corresponding absolute value function. The point representing
the x-intercept is an invariant point. invariant point
• a point that remains
Reflect in the x-axis the part of the graph of y = 2x - 3 that is unchanged when a
below the x-axis. transformation is
applied to it
y
6
y = |2x - 3|
4
(0, 3) What other points
2 on the graph are
( _32 , 0) invariant points?

-4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
-2
(0, -3)
-4
y = 2x - 3
-6

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 371

 c) Since there is no x-value that cannot be substituted into the
function y = |2x - 3|, the domain is all real numbers, or {x | x ∈ R}.
For all values of x, |2x - 3| ≥ 0. The range is {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}.

d) The V-shaped graph of the absolute value function y = | 2x - 3| is

composed of two separate linear functions, each with its own domain.
• When x ≥ _ 3 , the graph of y = |2x - 3| is the graph of y = 2x - 3,
2
which is a line with a slope of 2 and a y-intercept of -3.
• When x < _ 3 , the graph of y = |2x - 3| is the graph of
2
y = 2x - 3 reflected in the x-axis. The equation of the
reflected graph is y = -(2x - 3) or y = -2x + 3, which is a
line with a slope of -2 and a y-intercept of 3.
You can combine these two linear functions with their domains to
define the absolute value function y = |2x - 3|. Express the absolute
value function y = |2x - 3| as the piecewise function

2x - 3, if x ≥ _
3
y=
{ 2
-(2x - 3), if x < _
3
2

Your Turn
Consider the absolute value function y = |3x + 1|.
a) Determine the y-intercept and the x-intercept.
b) Sketch the graph.
c) State the domain and range.
d) Express as a piecewise function.

Example 2
Graph an Absolute Value Function of the Form f (x) = |ax2 + bx + c|
Consider the absolute value function f (x) = |-x2 + 2x + 8|.
a) Determine the y-intercept and the x-intercepts.
b) Sketch the graph.
c) State the domain and range.
d) Express as a piecewise function.

Solution
a) Determine the y-intercept by evaluating the function at x = 0.
f(x) = |-x2 + 2x + 8|
f(0) = |-(0)2 + 2(0) + 8|
f(0) = |8|
f(0) = 8
The y-intercept occurs at (0, 8)

372 MHR • Chapter 7

 The x-intercepts are the real zeros of the function, since they
correspond to the x-intercepts of the graph.
f(x) = |-x2 + 2x + 8|
0 = -x2 + 2x + 8
0 = -(x2 - 2x - 8)
0 = -(x + 2)(x - 4)
x + 2 = 0 or x - 4 = 0
x = -2 x=4
The x-intercepts occur at (-2, 0) and (4, 0).

b) Use the graph of y = f (x) to graph y = |f(x)|.

Complete the square to convert the quadratic function

y = -x2 + 2x + 8 to vertex form, y = a(x - p)2 + q.
y = -x2 + 2x + 8
y = -(x2 - 2x) + 8
y = -(x2 - 2x + 1 - 1) + 8
y = -[(x2 - 2x + 1) - 1] + 8
y = -[(x - 1)2 - 1] + 8
y = -(x - 1)2 - 1(-1) + 8
y = -(x - 1)2 + 9
Since p = 1 and q = 9, the vertex is located at (1, 9). Since a < 0, the
parabola opens downward. Sketch the graph.
y
10
(1, 9)
What other methods could you
8 use to find the vertex of the
(0, 8)
quadratic function?
6

4
y = |-x2 + 2x + 8|
2
(-2, 0) (4, 0)
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
-2

-4
y = -x2 + 2x + 8
-6

-8

-10

Reflect in the x-axis the part of the graph of y = -x2 + 2x + 8 that lies
below the x-axis.

c) The domain is all real numbers, or {x | x ∈ R}, and the range is all
non-negative values of y, or {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}.

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 373

 d) The graph of y = |-x2 + 2x + 8| consists of two separate quadratic
functions. You can use the x-intercepts to identity each function’s
specific domain.
• When -2 ≤ x ≤ 4, the graph of y = |-x2 + 2x + 8| is the graph of
y = -x2 + 2x + 8, which is a parabola opening downward with a
vertex at (1, 9), a y-intercept of 8, and x-intercepts at -2 and 4.
• When x < -2 or x > 4, the graph of y = |-x2 + 2x + 8| is the graph
of y = -x2 + 2x + 8 reflected in the x-axis. The equation of the
reflected graph is y = -(-x2 + 2x + 8) or y = x2 - 2x - 8, which is
a parabola opening upward with a vertex at (1, -9), a y-intercept of
-8, and x-intercepts at -2 and 4.

y
y = -x2 + 2x + 8,
10
(1, 9) -2 ≤ x ≤ 4
8
(0, 8)
6
y = x2 - 2x - 8, y = x2 - 2x - 8,
4
x < -2 x>4
2
(-2, 0) (4, 0)
-
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 x
-2

-4

-6

-8
(0, -8)
(1, -9)
-10

Express the absolute value function y = |-x2 + 2x + 8|

as the piecewise function
-x2 + 2x + 8, if -2 ≤ x ≤ 4
y= {
-(-x2 + 2x + 8), if x < -2 or x > 4

Your Turn
Consider the absolute value function f(x) = |x2 - x - 2|.
a) Determine the y-intercept and the x-intercepts.
b) Sketch the graph.
c) State the domain and range.
d) Express as a piecewise function.

374 MHR • Chapter 7

 Key Ideas

You can analyse absolute value functions in several ways:

 graphically, by sketching and identifying the characteristics of the
graph, including the x-intercepts and the y-intercept, the minimum
values, the domain, and the range
 algebraically, by rewriting the function as a piecewise function
 In general, you can express the absolute value function y = |f(x)|
as the piecewise function

y= { f(x), if f (x) ≥ 0
-f(x), if f (x) < 0
The domain of an absolute value function y = |f(x)| is the same as the
domain of the function y = f(x).
The range of an absolute value function y = |f(x)| depends on the range
of the function y = f(x). For the absolute value of a linear or quadratic
function, the range will generally, but not always, be {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}.

Check Your Understanding

Practise 2. The point (-5, -8) is on the graph of

1. Given the table of values for y = f(x), y = f (x). Identify the corresponding
create a table of values for y = |f(x)|. point on the graph of y = |f (x)|.
a) x y = f (x) 3. The graph of y = f(x) has an x-intercept
-2 -3
of 3 and a y-intercept of -4. What are the
x-intercept and the y-intercept of the graph
-1 -1
of y = |f(x)|?
0 1
4. The graph of y = f (x) has x-intercepts of
1 3
-2 and 7, and a y-intercept of - _3 . State
2 5 2
the x-intercepts and the y-intercept of the
b) x y = f (x) graph of y = |f (x)|.
-2 0
-1 -2
0 -2
1 0
2 4

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 375

 5. Copy the graph of y = f(x). On the same set 7. Copy the graph of y = f (x). On the same set
of axes, sketch the graph of y = |f(x)|. of axes, sketch the graph of y = |f(x)|.
a) y a) y
y = f(x)
4 4
y = f(x)

2 2

-2 0 2 4 x -2 0 2 4 x
-2 -2

b) y b) y
y = f(x)
4 4
y = f(x)
2 2

-2 0 2 4 x -2 0 2 4 x
-2 -2

c) y c) y
4 2
y = f(x)
2
-6 -4 -2 0 x
-2
-2 0 2 4 x
y = f(x)
-2 -4

-4
8. Sketch the graph of each function. State
the intercepts and the domain and range.
6. Sketch the graph of each absolute value
function. State the intercepts and the a) y = |x2 - 4|
domain and range. b) y = |x2 + 5x + 6|
a) y = |2x - 6| c) f(x) = |-2x2 - 3x + 2|
b) y = |x + 5| d) y = | _14 x 2
-9|
c) f(x) = |-3x - 6|
e) g(x) = |(x - 3)2 + 1|
d) g(x) = |-x - 3|
f) h(x) = |-3(x + 2)2 - 4|
e) y = _ x - 2
1
|
2 |
f) h(x) = _ x + 3
1
3 | |

376 MHR • Chapter 7

 9. Write the piecewise function that 11. Express each function as a piecewise
represents each graph. function.
a) y a) y = |x - 4|
4 b) y = |3x + 5|
2 c) y = |-x2 + 1|
y = |2x - 2|
d) y = |x2 - x - 6|
-2 0 2 4 6 x

Apply
b) y 12. Consider the function g(x) = |6 - 2x|.
y = |3x + 6|
6
a) Create a table of values for the function
4 using values of -1, 0, 2, 3, and 5 for x.
b) Sketch the graph.
2
c) Determine the domain and range
-4 -2 0 2 4 x for g(x).
d) Write the function in piecewise
c) y notation.
y = _1 x - 1
| |
2 2 13. Consider the function g(x) = |x2 - 2x - 8|.
a) What are the y-intercept and x-intercepts
-2 0 2 4 6 x
of the graph of the function?

10. What piecewise function could you use b) Graph the function.
to represent each graph of an absolute c) What are the domain and range of g(x)?
value function? d) Express the function as a piecewise
a) y function.
4 14. Consider the function g(x) = |3x2 - 4x - 4|.

2 a) What are the intercepts of the graph?

y = |2x2 - 2|
b) Graph the function.
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 x
c) What are the domain and range of g(x)?

b) y d) What is the piecewise notation form of

y = |(x - 1.5)2 - 0.25| the function?
15. Raza and Michael are discussing the
1
functions p(x) = 2x2 - 9x + 10 and
q(x) = |2x2 - 9x + 10|. Raza says that
the two functions have identical graphs.
0 1 2 x Michael says that the absolute value
changes the graph so that q(x) has a
c) y different range and a different graph from
p(x). Who is correct? Explain your answer.
6
y = |3(x - 2)2 - 3|
4

-1 0 1 2 3 4 x

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 377

16. Air hockey is a table game where two 17. The velocity, v, in metres per second, of
players try to score points by hitting a a go-cart at a given time, t, in seconds, is
puck into the other player’s goal. The modelled by the function v(t) = -2t + 4.
diameter of the puck is 8.26 cm. Suppose The distance travelled, in metres, can
a Cartesian plane is superimposed over the be determined by calculating the area
playing surface of an air hockey table so between the graph of v(t) = |-2t + 4| and
that opposite corners have the coordinates the x-axis. What is the distance travelled
(0, 114) and (236, 0), as shown. The path in the first 5 s?
of the puck hit by a player is given by 18. a) Graph f (x) = |3x - 2| and
y = |0.475x - 55.1|. g(x) = |-3x + 2|. What do you notice
about the two graphs? Explain why.
b) Graph f (x) = |4x + 3|. Write a different
absolute value function of the form
g(x) = |ax + b| that has the same graph.
19. Graph f (x) = |x 2 - 6x + 5|. Write a
different absolute value function of the
form g(x) = |ax 2 + bx + c| that has the
same graph as f(x) = |x 2 - 6x + 5|.
20. An absolute value function has the form
f(x) = |ax + b|, where a ≠ 0, b ≠ 0, and
a, b ∈ R. If the function f (x) has a domain
y
(0, 114)
of {x | x ∈ R}, a range of {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R},
an x-intercept occurring at _ 3 , 0 , and a
centre
line
( )2
y-intercept occurring at (0, 6), what are the
114 cm goal 33 cm
values of a and b?
puck (236, 0) 21. An absolute value function has the
(0, 0) 236 cm x form f(x) = |x2 + bx + c|, where b ≠ 0,
c ≠ 0, and b, c ∈ R. If the function f (x)
has a domain of {x | x ∈ R}, a range of
a) Graph the function.
{y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}, x-intercepts occurring
b) At what point does the puck ricochet
at (-6, 0) and (2, 0), and a y-intercept
off the side of the table?
occurring at (0, 12), determine the values
c) If the other player does not touch the of b and c.
puck, verify whether or not the puck
22. Explain why the graphs of y = |x2| and
goes into the goal.
y = x2 are identical.

378 MHR • Chapter 7

Extend Step 2 Let the location of the grain storage
23. Is the following statement true for all facility be at point x (x kilometres
x, y ∈ R? Justify your answer. east of Allenby). Then, the absolute
|x| + |y| = |x + y| value of the distance of the facility
from Allenby is |x| and from Birkend
24. Draw the graph of |x| + |y| = 5.
is |x - 10|. Why do you need to use
25. Use the piecewise definition of y = |x| to absolute value?
prove that for all x, y ∈ R, |x|(|y|) = |xy|.
Continue this process to write absolute
26. Compare the graphs of f(x) = |3x - 6| and value expressions for the distance of
g(x) = |3x| - 6. Discuss the similarities the storage facility from each of the
and differences. seven towns. Then, combine them
to create a function for the total of
Create Connections the absolute value distances from the
27. Explain how to use a piecewise function to different towns to point x.
graph an absolute value function.
Step 3 Graph the combined function using a
28. Consider the quadratic function graphing calculator. Set an appropriate
y = ax2 + bx + c, where a, b, and c are real window to view the graph. What are
numbers and a ≠ 0. Describe the nature of the window settings?
the discriminant, b2 - 4ac, for the graphs
Step 4 a) What does the graph indicate about
of y = ax2 + bx + c and y = |ax2 + bx + c|
placing the point x at different
to be identical.
locations along the highway?
29. MINI LAB In Section 7.1, you solved the
b) What are the coordinates of the
following problem:
minimum point on the graph?
Suppose a straight stretch of highway
c) Interpret this point with respect
running west to east begins at the town
to the location of the grain storage
of Allenby (0 km). The diagram shows
facility.
the distances from Allenby east along the
highway to various towns. A new grain 30. Each set of transformations is applied to
storage facility is to be built along the the graph of f(x) = x2 in the order listed.
highway 24 km from Allenby. Find the Write the function of each transformed
total distance of the grain storage facility graph.
from all of the seven towns on the highway a) a horizontal translation of 3 units to the
for this proposed location. right, a vertical translation of 7 units
0 10 17 30 42 55 72 up, and then take its absolute value
Allenby Crawley Denford Essex Fortier Grey b) a change in the width by a factor of _4 ,
Birkend Ridge 5
a horizontal translation of 3 units to the
Step 1 Rather than building the facility at a
left, and then take its absolute value
point 24 km east of Allenby, as was
originally planned, there may be c) a reflection in the x-axis, a vertical
a more suitable location along the translation of 6 units down, and then
highway that would minimize the take its absolute value
total distance of the grain storage d) a change in the width by a factor of 5, a
facility from all of the towns. Do you horizontal translation of 3 units to the
think that point exists? If so, predict left, a vertical translation of 3 units up,
its location. and then take its absolute value

7.2 Absolute Value Functions • MHR 379

 7.3
Absolute Value Equations
Focus on . . .
• solving an absolute value equation graphically, with or without technology
• algebraically solving an equation with a single absolute value and verifying the solution
• explaining why the absolute value equation |f(x)| = b for b < 0 has no solution

Is the speed of light the maximum

velocity possible? According to Albert
Einstein’s theory of relativity, an
object travelling near the speed of
light, approximately 300 000 km/s,
will move more slowly and shorten
in length from the point of view of an
observer on Earth. On the television
show Star Trek, the speed of light
was called Warp 1 and the spaceship
USS Enterprise was able to travel at
much greater speeds. Is this possible
or just a fantasy?

Did Yo u Know ?

The town of Vulcan, Alberta, has been using the Star Trek connection since the debut
of the television series and now receives more than 12 000 visitors per year. There is a
replica of the USS Enterprise in Vulcan, and the tourism centre is designed as a landing
craft. Every year, in June, Vulcan hosts Galaxyfest-Spock Days.

380 MHR • Chapter 7

 Investigate Absolute Value Equations

1. Consider the absolute value equation |x| = 10.

2. Use the number line to geometrically solve the equation.
How many solutions are there?

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15

3. How many solutions are there for the equation |x| = 15? for |x| = 5?
for |x| = b, b ≠ 0? What are the solutions?
4. Make a conjecture about the number of solutions for an absolute
value equation.
5. Solve the absolute value equation |x| = 0.

Reflect and Respond

6. Is it possible to have an absolute value equation that has no
solutions? Under what conditions would this happen?
7. Discuss how to use the following definition of absolute value
to solve absolute value equations.

|x| = { x-xif ifx x≥<0 0

8. a) From the definition of absolute value in step 7, give a general
rule for solving |A| = b, b ≥ 0, for A, where A is an algebraic
expression.
b) State a general rule for solving the equation |A| = b, b < 0,
for A.

Link the Ideas

Use the definition of absolute value when solving absolute value absolute value
equations algebraically. equation
• an equation that
There are two cases to consider. includes the absolute
Case 1: The expression inside the absolute value symbol is positive value of an expression
involving a variable
or zero.
Case 2: The expression inside the absolute value symbol is negative.

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 381

 Example 1
Solve an Absolute Value Equation
Solve |x - 3| = 7.

Solution
Method 1: Use Algebra
Using the definition of absolute value,

|x - 3| = { x-(x- 3,- 3),

if x ≥ 3
if x < 3
Case 1
The expression |x - 3| equals x - 3 when x - 3 ≥ 0, or when x ≥ 3.
x-3=7
x = 10
The value 10 satisfies the condition x ≥ 3.
Case 2
The expression |x - 3| equals -(x - 3) when x - 3 < 0, or when x < 3.
-(x - 3) = 7
x - 3 = -7
x = -4
The value -4 satisfies the condition x < 3.
Verify the solutions algebraically by substitution.
For x = 10: For x = -4:
Left Side Right Side Left Side Right Side
|x - 3| 7 |x - 3| 7
= |10 - 3| = |-4 - 3|
= |7| = |-7|
=7 =7
Left Side = Right Side Left Side = Right Side
The solution is x = 10 or x = -4.

Method 2: Use a Graph

Graph the functions f(x) = |x - 3| and g(x) = 7 on the same coordinate
grid to see where they intersect.
y Why were these two
10 functions chosen for f(x)
and g(x)?
8
(-4, 7) g(x) = 7 (10, 7)
6

4
f(x) = |x - 3|
2

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 x

382 MHR • Chapter 7

The graphs intersect at (-4, 7) and (10, 7). This means that x = -4 and
x = 10 are solutions to the equation |x - 3| = 7.
You can verify the solutions using technology. Input the function
f(x) = |x - 3| and display the table of values to confirm the solutions
you found graphically.
From the table of values, the solution is x = -4 or x = 10.

Your Turn
Solve |6 - x| = 2 graphically and algebraically.

Example 2
Solve an Absolute Value Problem
A computerized process controls the amount of batter used to produce
cookies in a factory. If the computer program sets the ideal mass before
baking at 55 g but allows a tolerance of ±2.5 g, solve an absolute value
equation for the maximum and minimum mass, m, of batter for cookies
at this factory.

Solution
Model the situation by the equation |m - 55| = 2.5.
Method 1: Use a Number Line
The absolute value equation |m - 55| = 2.5 means that the distance
between m and 55 is 2.5 units. To find m on a number line, start at 55
and move 2.5 units in either direction.
2.5 units 2.5 units

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
The distance from 55 to 52.5 is 2.5 units. The distance from 55 to 57.5 is 2.5 units.

The maximum mass is 57.5 g and the minimum mass is 52.5 g.

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 383

 Method 2: Use an Algebraic Method
Using the definition of absolute value,
m - 55, if m ≥ 55
|m - 55| = {-(m - 55), if m < 55
Case 1
m - 55 = 2.5
m = 57.5
Case 2
-(m - 55) = 2.5
m - 55 = -2.5
m = 52.5
The maximum mass is 57.5 g and the minimum mass is 52.5 g.

Your Turn
A computerized process controls the amount of fish that is packaged in
a specific size of can. The computer program sets the ideal mass at 170 g
but allows a tolerance of ±6 g. Solve an absolute value equation for the
maximum and minimum mass, m, of fish in this size of can.

Example 3
Absolute Value Equation With an Extraneous Solution
Solve |2x - 5| = 5 - 3x.

Solution
Using the definition of absolute value, How do you determine the
_
5 restrictions on the domain in

|2x - 5| =
{2x - 5, if x ≥
2
-(2x - 5), if x < _
5
2
this example?

So, |2x - 5| = 5 - 3x means 2x - 5 = 5 - 3x when x ≥ _ 5

2
or -(2x - 5) = 5 - 3x when x < _ 5.
2
Case 1
2x - 5 = 5 - 3x
5x = 10
x=2
The value 2 does not satisfy the condition x ≥ _5 , so it is an
2
extraneous solution.

384 MHR • Chapter 7

Case 2
-(2x - 5) = 5 - 3x
-2x + 5 = 5 - 3x
x=0

The value 0 does satisfy the condition x < _

5.
2
Verify the solutions.
For x = 2: For x = 0:
Left Side Right Side Left Side Right Side
|2x - 5| 5 - 3x |2x - 5| 5 - 3x
= |2(2) - 5| = 5 - 3(2) = |2(0) - 5| = 5 - 3(0)
= |4 - 5| =5-6 = |0 - 5| =5-0
= |-1| = -1 = |-5| =5
=1 =5
Left Side ≠ Right Side Left Side = Right Side
The solution is x = 0.
Some absolute value equations may
have extraneous roots. Verify potential
solutions by substituting them into the
original equation.

Your Turn
Solve |x + 5| = 4x - 1.

Example 4
Absolute Value Equation With No Solution
Solve |3x - 4| + 12 = 9.

Solution
|3x - 4| + 12 = 9 Isolate the absolute value expression.
|3x - 4| = -3 This statement is never true.

Since the absolute value of a number is always greater than or equal to

zero, by inspection this equation has no solution. D i d You K n ow?

The solution set for this type of equation is the empty set. The empty set is a
set with no elements
Your Turn and is symbolized by
{} or ∅.
Solve |4x - 5| + 9 = 2.

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 385

 Example 5
Solve an Absolute Value Equation Involving a Quadratic Expression
Solve |x2 - 2x| = 1.

Solution
Using the definition of absolute value, How can you use the x-intercepts of
2 the related parabola and the direction
x - 2x, if x ≤ 0 or x ≥ 2
|x2 - 2x| = { -(x 2
- 2x), if 0 < x < 2
in which it opens to determine the
domain for each case?

Case 1
x2 - 2x = 1
2
x - 2x - 1 = 0 ________
x = ____ Why is the quadratic formula used to solve for x?
-b ± √b2 - 4ac
2a ________________
x = ______
-(-2) ± √(-2)2 - 4(1)(-1)
__
2(1)
x= __
2 ± √8
2
__
x= __
2 ± 2 √2
2 __
x = 1 ± √2
__ __
Determine whether x = 1 + √2 or x = 1 - √2 satisfies the original
equation |x2 - 2x| = 1.
__
For x = 1 + √2 :
Left Side Right Side
|x2 - 2x| 1
__ __
= |(1 + √2 )2 - 2(1 + √2 )|
__ __
= |1 + 2 √2 + 2 - 2 - 2 √2 |
= |1|
=1
Left Side = Right Side
__
For x = 1 - √2 :
Left Side Right Side
|x2 - 2x| 1
__ __
= |(1 - √2 ) - 2(1 - √2 )|
2
__ __
= |1 - 2 √2 + 2 - 2 + 2 √2 |
= |1|
=1
Left Side = Right Side

386 MHR • Chapter 7

Case 2
-(x2 - 2x) = 1
x2 - 2x = -1
2
x - 2x + 1 = 0
(x - 1)2 = 0
x-1 = 0
x = 1
Determine whether x = 1 satisfies the original equation |x2 - 2x| = 1.
Left Side Right Side
2
|x - 2x| 1
= |12 - 2(1)|
= |-1|
=1
Left Side = Right Side
__ __
The solutions are x = 1, x = 1 + √2 , and x = 1 - √2 .

You can also verify the solution graphically as x = 1, x ≈ 2.4,

and x ≈ -0.41.

Your Turn
Solve |x2 - 3x| = 2.

Example 6
Solve an Absolute Value Equation Involving Linear and
Quadratic Expressions
Solve |x - 10| = x2 - 10x.

Solution
Using the definition of absolute value,

|x - 10| = { x-(x- 10, if x ≥ 10

- 10), if x < 10

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 387

 Case 1
x - 10 = x2 - 10x
0 = x2 - 11x + 10
0 = (x - 10)(x - 1)
x - 10 = 0 or x - 1 = 0
x = 10 x=1
Only x = 10 satisfies the condition x ≥ 10, so x = 1 is an extraneous root.
Case 2
-(x - 10) = x2 - 10x
-x + 10 = x2 - 10x
0= x2 - 9x - 10
0= (x - 10)(x + 1)
x - 10 = 0 or x + 1 = 0
x = 10 x = -1
Only x = -1 satisfies the condition x < 10 for How could you verify
this case. But x = 10 satisfies the condition in these solutions?

Case 1, so the solutions are x = 10 and x = -1.

Your Turn
Solve |x - 5| = x2 - 8x + 15.

Key Ideas

You can solve absolute value equations by graphing the left side and
the right side of the equation on the same set of axes and determining
the points of intersection.
To solve an absolute value equation algebraically:
 Consider the two separate cases, corresponding to the two parts of the
definition of absolute value:

|x| = { x,-x,if ifx x≥<0 0

 Roots that satisfy the specified condition in each case are solutions to
the equation.
 Identify and reject extraneous roots.
Verify roots through substitution into the original equation.
Any absolute value equation of the form |f(x)| = a, where a < 0, has no
solution since by definition |f(x)| ≥ 0.

388 MHR • Chapter 7

 Check Your Understanding

Practise Apply
1. Use the number line to geometrically 7. Bolts are manufactured
solve each equation. at a certain factory to
have a diameter of
-10 -5 0 5 10 18 mm and are rejected
a) |x| = 7 b) |x| + 8 = 12 if they differ from this by
c) |x| + 4 = 4 d) |x| = -6 more than 0.5 mm.

2. Solve each absolute value equation a) Write an absolute

by graphing. value equation in
the form |d - a| = b
a) |x - 4| = 10 b) |x + 3| = 2
to describe the acceptance limits
c) 6 = |x + 8| d) |x + 9| = -3 for the diameter, d, in millimetres,
3. Determine an absolute value equation in of these bolts, where a and b are
the form |ax + b| = c given its solutions on real numbers.
the number line.
b) Solve the resulting absolute value
a) equation to find the maximum and
-10 -5 0 5 10
minimum diameters of the bolts.
b)
-10 -5 0 5 10 8. One experiment measured the speed
c) of light as 299 792 456.2 m/s with a
-10 -5 0 5 10
measurement uncertainty of 1.1 m/s.
4. Solve each absolute value equation
algebraically. Verify your solutions. a) Write an absolute value equation in
the form |c - a| = b to describe the
a) |x + 7| = 12
measured speed of light, c, metres
b) |3x - 4| + 5 = 7 per second, where a and b are real
c) 2|x + 6| + 12 = -4 numbers.
d) -6|2x - 14| = -42 b) Solve the absolute value equation
5. Solve each equation. to find the maximum and minimum
a) |2a + 7| = a - 4
values for the speed of light for this
experiment.
b) |7 + 3x| = 11 - x
9. In communities in Nunavut, aviation fuel
c) |1 - 2m| = m + 2
is stored in huge tanks at the airport. Fuel
d) |3x + 3| = 2x - 5 is re-supplied by ship yearly. The fuel
e) 3|2a + 7| = 3a + 12 tank in Kugaaruk holds 50 000 L. The fuel
6. Solve each equation and verify your re-supply brings a volume, V, in litres, of
solutions graphically. fuel plus or minus 2000 L.
a) |x| = x2 + x - 3 a) Write an absolute value equation in the
2 form |V - a| = b to describe the limits
b) |x - 2x + 2| = 3x - 4
for the volume of fuel delivered, where
c) |x2 - 9| = x2 - 9
a and b are real numbers.
d) |x2 - 1| = x
b) Solve your absolute value equation
e) |x2 - 2x - 16| = 8 to find the maximum and minimum
volumes of fuel.

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 389

10. Consider the statement x = 7 ± 4.8. 13. Determine whether n ≥ 0 or n ≤ 0
a) Describe the values of x. makes each equation true.
b) Translate the statement into an equation a) n + |-n| = 2n b) n + |-n| = 0
involving absolute value. 14. Solve each equation for x, where
11. When measurements are made in science, a, b, c ∈ R.
there is always a degree of error possible. a) |ax| - b = c b) |x - b| = c
Absolute error is the uncertainty of a
15. Erin and Andrea each solve
measurement. For example, if the mass of an
|x - 4| + 8 = 12. Who is correct?
object is known to be 125 g, but the absolute
Explain your reasoning.
error is said to be ±4 g, then the measurement
could be as high as 129 g and as low as 121 g. Erin’s solution:
|x - 4| + 8 = 12
a) If the mass of a substance is measured
|x - 4| = 4
once as 64 g and once as 69 g, and the
x + 4 = 4 or -x + 4 = 4
absolute error is ±2.5 g, what is the
x=0 x=0
actual mass of the substance?
Andrea’s solution:
b) If the volume of a liquid is measured
|x - 4| + 8 = 12
to be 258 mL with an absolute error of
|x - 4| = 4
±7 mL, what are the least and greatest
x - 4 = 4 or -x + 4 = 4
possible measures of the volume?
x=8 x=0
12. The moon travels in a elliptical orbit
around Earth. The distance between Earth 16. Mission Creek in the
and the moon changes as the moon travels Okanagan Valley of
in this orbit. The point where the moon's British Columbia is the
orbit is closest to Earth is called perigee, site of the spawning of
and the point when it is farthest from Earth Kokanee salmon every
is called apogee. You can use the equation September. Kokanee
|d - 381 550| = 25 150 to find these salmon are sensitive to
distances, d, in kilometres. water temperature. If
moon the water is too cold,
egg hatching is delayed,
and if the water is too
Earth warm, the eggs die.
perigee apogee
(closest (farthest Biologists have found
to Earth) from Earth) that the spawning rate of the salmon is
greatest when the water is at an average
temperature of 11.5 °C with an absolute
a) Solve the equation to find the perigee value difference of 2.5 °C. Write and solve
and apogee of the moon’s orbit of Earth. an absolute value equation that determines
b) Interpret the given values 381 550 and the limits of the ideal temperature range for
25 150 with respect to the distance the Kokanee salmon to spawn.
between Earth and the moon.
D i d You K n ow ?
D id Yo u Know ?
In recent years, the September temperature of
When a full moon is Mission Creek has been rising. Scientists are
at perigee, it can appear as considering reducing the temperature of the water
much as 14% larger to us by planting more vegetation along the creek banks.
than a full moon at apogee. This would create shade, cooling the water.

390 MHR • Chapter 7

17. Low-dose aspirin contains 81 mg of the 20. Write an absolute value equation with the
active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) indicated solutions or type of solution.
per tablet. It is used to regulate and reduce a) -2 and 8
heart attack risk associated with high blood
b) no solution
pressure by thinning the blood.
a) Given a tolerance of 20% for generic c) one integral solution
brands, solve an absolute value equation d) two integral solutions
for the maximum and minimum amount 21. Does the absolute value equation
of ASA per tablet. |ax + b| = 0, where a, b ∈ R, always have
b) Which limit might the drug company a solution? Explain.
tend to lean toward? Why?
Create Connections
Extend 22. For each graph, an absolute value function
18. For the launch of the Ares I-X rocket from and a linear function intersect to produce
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida solutions to an equation composed of the
in 2009, scientists at NASA indicated two functions. Determine the equation that
they had a launch window of 08:00 to is being solved in each graph.
12:00 eastern time. If a launch at any a) y
time in this window is acceptable, write
an absolute value equation to express 6

the earliest and latest acceptable times 4

for launch.
2

-2 0 2 4 6 x

b) y
6

-4 -2 0 2 4 x

23. Explain, without solving, why the equation

19. Determine whether each statement is |3x + 1| = -2 has no solutions, while the
sometimes true, always true, or never equation |3x + 1| - 4 = -2 has solutions.
true, where a is a natural number. 24. Why do some absolute value equations
Explain your reasoning. produce extraneous roots when solved
a) The value of |x + 1| is greater than zero. algebraically? How are these roots created
b) The solution to |x + a| = 0 is greater in the algebraic process if they are not
than zero. actual solutions of the equation?

c) The value of |x + a| + a is greater

than zero.

7.3 Absolute Value Equations • MHR 391

 7.4
Reciprocal Functions
Focus on . . .
• graphing the reciprocal of a given function
• analysing the graph of the reciprocal of a given function
• comparing the graph of a function to the graph of the reciprocal of
that function

• identifying the values of x for which the graph of y =

_1
has
f(x)
vertical asymptotes

Isaac Newton (1643–1727) is one of the most important

mathematicians and physicists in history. Besides being the
co-inventor of calculus, Newton is famous for deriving the D i d You K n ow ?
law of universal gravitation. He deduced that the forces that
keep the planets in their orbits must be related reciprocally Isaac Newton made most of his important
discoveries in the 1660s. During this time
as the squares of their distances from the centres about
he was forced to work at home because
which they revolve.
the bubonic plague resulted in the closure
F1 F2 of all public buildings, including Cambridge
m
m1 m2 m1 × m2 University, where Newton studied.
r
(
F1 = F2 = G _______
r2
)
We b Link
As a result of the reciprocal relationship, as the distance, To learn
earn more about
ab Isaac Newton and
r, between two planets increases, the gravitational force, his contributions to mathematics, go to
F, decreases. Similarly, as the distance decreases, the www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.
gravitational force between the planets will increase.

Investigate Exchange Rates

Materials Perhaps you have travelled to Mexico or to Hawaii and have

• graphing calculator exchanged Canadian dollars for pesos or U.S. dollars. Perhaps
you have travelled overseas and exchanged British pounds for the
Japanese yen or Swiss franc. If so, you have experienced exchange
rates in action. Do you know how they work?
An exchange rate is the rate at which one currency is converted
into another currency. Exchange rates are typically quoted as a
ratio with either one of the currencies being set equal to one, such
as 1 Australian dollar = 0.9796 Canadian dollars.
1. If the Canadian dollar is worth US$0.80, it costs C$1.25 to buy
US$1. Change the values 0.80 and 1.25 to fractions in lowest
terms. Can you see how these fractions are related to each
other? Discuss with your classmates how you could use this
relationship to determine exchange rates.

392 MHR • Chapter 7

 2. In step 1, the Canadian-to-U.S. dollar exchange rate is 0.80. D i d You K n ow?
What is the U.S.-to-Canada dollar exchange rate? How many
For centuries, the
Canadian dollars could you buy with US$1? currencies of the
3. a) Copy and complete the table to C$1 in Purchase Price world were backed by
determine the purchase price of US$1 US$ of US$1 gold. That is, a piece
for various Canadian-to-U.S. dollar 0.65 1.54 of paper currency
issued by any
exchange rates. 0.70
national government
b) Describe your method of determining 0.75 represented a real
the purchase price of US$1. Would 0.80 amount of gold held
your method work for all currency in a vault by that
0.85
exchanges? government.
0.90
c) Plot the ordered pairs from the table of
0.95
values. Draw a smooth curve through
1.00
the points. Extrapolate. Does this curve
have an x-intercept? a y-intercept? 1.05

Explain. 1.10

4. Examine the currency exchange table shown. The Japanese yen (¥) D i d You K n ow?
is shown as 0.0108. What does this number represent in terms of
A customer buys
exchange rates? currency from a bank
at a higher price

CURRENCIES and sells the same

currency to a bank
Currency In C$ Currency In C$ Currency In C$ at a lower price. The
Australia dollar 0.9796 Euro 1.5748 Peru sol 0.3629 difference between
Bahamas dollar 1.0525 Hong Kong dollar 0.1346 Philippine peso 0.0216 the price at which a
Bahrain dinar 2.7944 India rupee 0.0219 Poland zloty 0.3749 bank sells a currency
Barbados dollar 0.5287 Jamaica dollar 0.0113 Russia rouble 0.0346 and the price at which
Singapore dollar 0.7571
Brazil real 0.6134 Japan yen 0.0108 it buys the same
South Africa rand 0.1417
Chile peso 0.0020 Kenya shilling 0.0143 Switzerland franc 1.0418
currency is called the
Chinese yuan 0.1534 S. Korea won 0.0009 Ukraine hryvna 0.1238 spread. The spread is
Denmark krone 0.2107 Mexico peso 0.0786 U.A.E. dirham 0.2842 the cost of completing
Dominican peso 0.0286 New Zealand dollar 0.7801 U.K. pound 1.7266 the exchange.
Egypt pound 0.1924 Pakistan rupee 0.0120 U.S. dollar 1.0374

5. a) How many yen can you purchase with C$1? With C$200?
b) How much does it cost to purchase ¥5000?
6. Choose one other currency from the table or find current currency
exchange rates on the Internet.
a) How much of that currency can be purchased with C$1?
b) How much does it cost to purchase 100 units of the foreign currency?

Reflect and Respond

7. Analyse the relationship of currency exchange between countries.
For example, when you have the Canadian-to-U.S. dollar exchange
rate, how do you determine the U.S.-to-Canadian dollar exchange
rate? What is the relationship between the two calculations?
8. Does the relationship in step 7 always work?

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 393

 Link the Ideas

Recall that the product of a number and its reciprocal is always equal
to 1. For example, _ is the reciprocal of _4 and _
3 4 is the reciprocal of
4 3 3
_3 because _3 _4 = 1.
( )
4 4 3
So, for any non-zero real number a, the reciprocal of a is _ 1
a and the
reciprocal of _
1 _1
a is a. For a function f (x), its reciprocal is f(x) , provided that
f (x) ≠ 0.

Example 1
Compare the Graphs of a Function and Its Reciprocal

reciprocal function Sketch the graphs of y = f(x) and its reciprocal function y = _1 , where
f(x)
• a function y =
_
1
f(x) = x. Examine how the functions are related.
f (x)
defined by
y = _ = _ if f(a) = b, Solution
1 1
f (a) b
f(a) ≠ 0, b ≠ 0 Use a table of values to graph the functions y = x and y = _
1
x.
x y=x
_1
y= x

-10 -10 -_1 Notice that the function values for

10 _1
y = x can be found by taking the
-5 -5 -_1
reciprocal of the function values for
5
y = x.
-2 -2 _
-1
2
-1 -1 -1 What is unique about the reciprocals
of -1 and 1? Why?
-_1 -_1 -2
2 2
-_1 -1_ -5
5 5
- _
1 - _
1 -10
10 10
0 0 undefined Why is the reciprocal of 0 undefined?
_1 _
1
10
10 10
_1 _1 5
5 5
_1 _1 2
2 2
1 1 1

2 2
_1
2
What happens to the value of the
5 5
_1 reciprocal as the absolute value of a
5
number increases in value?
10 10
_
1
10

394 MHR • Chapter 7

 y Why does the curve
approach the y-axis but
10
y=x never touch it?

1
y =— Why does the curve
x
approach the x-axis but
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 x
never touch it?

-5

-10

The function y = x is a function of degree one, so its graph is a line. asymptote

The function y = _ 1 is a rational function.
x
• a line whose distance
from a given curve
Its graph has two distinct pieces, or branches. These branches are approaches zero
located on either side of the vertical asymptote, defined by the
non-permissible value of the domain of the rational function, and vertical asymptote
the horizontal asymptote, defined by the fact that the value 0 is • for reciprocal
not in the range of the function. functions, occur at the
non-permissible values
of the function
Characteristic y=x
_1
y= x • the line x = a is a
vertical asymptote if
Domain {x | x ∈ R} {x | x ≠ 0, x ∈ R} the curve approaches
Range {y | y ∈ R} {y | y ≠ 0, y ∈ R} the line more and more
closely as x approaches
• If x > 0 and |x| is very large, • If x > 0 and |x| is very large, then a, and the values of the
then y > 0 and is very large. y > 0 and is close to 0. function increase or
End behaviour • If x < 0 and |x| is very large, • If x < 0 and |x| is very large, then decrease without bound
then y < 0 and |y| is very y < 0 and y is close to 0. as x approaches a
large.
undefined, horizontal
Behaviour at x = 0 y=0
vertical asymptote at x = 0 asymptote
Invariant points (-1, -1) and (1, 1) • describes the
behaviour of a graph
when |x| is very large
• the line y = b is a
horizontal asymptote
if the values of the
function approach b
when |x| is very large

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 395

 Your Turn
Create a table of values and sketch the graphs of y = f (x) and its
reciprocal y = _ 1 , where f (x) = -x. Examine how the functions
f(x)
are related.

Example 2
Graph the Reciprocal of a Linear Function
Consider f(x) = 2x + 5.
a) Determine its reciprocal function y = _
1 .
f(x)
b) Determine the equation of the vertical asymptote of the reciprocal
function.
c) Graph the function y = f(x) and its reciprocal function y = _
1 .
f(x)
Describe a strategy that could be used to sketch the graph of a
reciprocal function.

Solution
a) The reciprocal function is y = __
1 .
2x + 5
b) A vertical asymptote occurs at any non-permissible values of the
corresponding rational expression __
1 .
2x + 5
To determine non-permissible values, set the denominator equal to 0
and solve.
2x + 5 = 0 How are the zeros of the function f(x) = 2x + 5
2x = -5 related to the vertical asymptotes of its reciprocal
__ 1
x = -_5 function y = ?
2x + 5
2
The non-permissible value is x = - _5.
2
In the domain of the rational expression __
1 , x ≠ -_
5.
2x + 5 2
The reciprocal function is undefined at this value, and its graph
has a vertical asymptote with equation x = - _5.
2

396 MHR • Chapter 7

c) Method 1: Use Pencil and Paper
To sketch the graph of the function f (x) = 2x + 5, use the y-intercept
of 5 and slope of 2.
To sketch the graph of the reciprocal of a function, consider the
following characteristics:
Reciprocal Function
Function
f(x) =
__ 1
Characteristic f(x) = 2x + 5 2x + 5
x-intercept and • The value of the • The value of the
asymptotes function is zero at reciprocal function is
x = -_. undefined at x = - _ .
5 5
2 2
A vertical asymptote
exists.

Invariant points • Solve 2x + 5 = 1. • Solve

__
1
= 1.
• The value of the 2x + 5
function is +1 at • The value of the
(-2, 1). reciprocal function
is +1 at (-2, 1).

• Solve 2x + 5 = -1. • Solve

__
1
= -1.
• The value of the 2x + 5
function is -1 at • The value of the
(-3, -1). reciprocal function
is -1 at (-3, -1).

The graphs of y = 2x + 5 and y = __

1 are shown.
2x + 5
y

vertical asymptote 6
y = 2x + 5
at x = -— 5
2 4

2
(-3, -1) (-2, 1)

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 x
-2

-4

-6
1
y = ______ -8
2x + 5

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 397

 Method 2: Use a Graphing Calculator
Graph the functions using a graphing calculator.
Enter the functions as y = 2x + 5 and y = __ 1 or as y = f(x)
2x + 5
and y = _ 1 , where f (x) has been defined as f (x) = 2x + 5.
f(x)
Ensure that both branches of the reciprocal function are visible.

How can you determine if the

window settings you chose are
the most appropriate?

What are the asymptotes? How

do you know?

Use the calculator’s value and zero features to verify the invariant
points and the y-intercept.

Use the table feature on the calculator

• to see the nature of the ordered pairs that exist when a function
and its reciprocal are graphed
• to compare the two functions in terms of values remaining
positive or negative or values of y increasing or decreasing
• to see what happens to the reciprocal function as the absolute
values of x get very large or very small

Your Turn
Consider f(x) = 3x - 9.
a) Determine its reciprocal function y = _
1 .
f(x)
b) Determine the equation of the vertical asymptote of the
reciprocal function.
c) Graph the function y = f(x) and its reciprocal function y = _
1 ,
f(x)
with and without technology. Discuss the behaviour of y = _ 1
f(x)
as it nears its asymptotes.

398 MHR • Chapter 7

Example 3
Graph the Reciprocal of a Quadratic Function
Consider f(x) = x2 - 4.
a) What is the reciprocal function of f (x)?
b) State the non-permissible values of x and the equation(s) of the
vertical asymptote(s) of the reciprocal function.
c) What are the x-intercepts and the y-intercept of the reciprocal function?
d) Graph the function y = f(x) and its reciprocal function y = _ .
1
f(x)
Solution

a) The reciprocal function is y = __

1 .
x2 - 4
b) Non-permissible values of x occur when the denominator of the
corresponding rational expression is equal to 0.
x2 - 4 = 0
(x - 2)(x + 2) = 0
x - 2 = 0 or x + 2 = 0
x=2 x = -2
The non-permissible values of the corresponding rational
expression are x = 2 and x = -2.

The reciprocal function is undefined at these values, so its graph

has vertical asymptotes with equations x = 2 and x = -2.

c) To find the x-intercepts of the function y = __

1 , let y = 0.
x2 - 4
0 = __
1
x2 - 4
There is no value of x that makes this equation true. Therefore,
there are no x-intercepts.
To find the y-intercept, substitute 0 for x.

y= __
1
02 - 4
y = -_1
4
The y-intercept is - _
1.
4
d) Method 1: Use Pencil and Paper
For f(x) = x2 - 4, the coordinates of the vertex are (0, -4).
The x-intercepts occur at (-2, 0) and (2, 0).
Use this information to plot the graph of f(x).

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 399

 To sketch the graph of the reciprocal function,
• Draw the asymptotes.
• Plot the invariant points where f (x) = ±1. The exact locations of
the invariant points can be found by solving x2 - 4 = ±1.
__ __
Solving x2 - 4 = 1 results in the points ( √5 ,__1) and (- √5 , 1).
__
Solving x2 - 4 = -1 results in the points ( √3 , -1) and (- √3 , -1).
• The y-coordinates of the points on the graph of the reciprocal
function are the reciprocals of the y-coordinates of the
corresponding points on the graph of f (x).
y

3
f(x) = x - 4
2
2
(- 5 , 1) ( 5 , 1)
1

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 x
-1
(- 3, -1) ( 3, -1)
-2

-3

1
-4 y = ______
x2 - 4
-6

-7
x = -2 x=2

Method 2: Use a Graphing Calculator

Enter the functions y = x2 - 4 and y = __
1 .
x2 - 4
Adjust the window settings so that the vertex and
intercepts of y = x2 - 4 are visible, if necessary.

400 MHR • Chapter 7

Your Turn
Consider f(x) = x2 + x - 6.
a) What is the reciprocal function of f (x)?
b) State the non-permissible values of x and the equation(s) of the
vertical asymptote(s) of the reciprocal function.
c) What are the x-intercepts and the y-intercept of the reciprocal function?
d) Sketch the graphs of y = f(x) and its reciprocal function y = _ .
1
f(x)

Example 4
Graph y = f(x) Given the Graph of y =
_
1
f(x)
The graph of a reciprocal function of y

the form y = __ 1 , where a and b 4

ax + b
are non-zero constants, is shown.
a) Sketch the graph of the original
2
( ) 1
3, _
3
function, y = f(x). -4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
b) Determine the original function, -2
y = f(x).
-4 1
y = ___
f(x)

Solution

a) Since y = _
1 = __
1 , the y y = f(x)
f(x) ax + b
4
original function is of the form (3, 3)
f(x) = ax + b, which is a linear
function. The reciprocal graph has
2
(2, 0)
( ) 1
3, _
3
a vertical asymptote at x = 2, so the -6 -2 0 2 4 6 x
graph of y = f(x) has an x-intercept -2
at (2, 0). Since 3, _
( ) 1 is a point on
1
3 -4
y = ___
the graph of y = _ 1 , the point (3, 3) f(x)
f(x)
must be on the graph of y = f(x).
Draw a line passing through (2, 0)
and (3, 3).

b) Method 1: Use the Slope and the y-Intercept

Write the function in the form y = mx + b. Use the coordinates of the
two known points, (2, 0) and (3, 3), to determine that the slope, m, is
3. Substitute the coordinates of one of the points into y = 3x + b and
solve for b.
b = -6
The original function is f(x) = 3x - 6.

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 401

 Method 2: Use the x-Intercept
With an x-intercept of 2, the function f(x) is based on the factor x - 2,
but it could be a multiple of that factor.
f(x) = a(x - 2)

Use the point (3, 3) to find the value of a.

3 = a(3 - 2)
3=a
The original function is f(x) = 3(x - 2), or f(x) = 3x - 6.

Your Turn y

4
The graph of a reciprocal function of
the form y = _1 = __ 1 , where a 2 1
y = ___
f(x) ax + b f(x)
and b are non-zero constants, is shown.
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
a) Sketch the graph of the original
function, y = f(x).
(-2, - 1
_
4 )-2

-4
b) Determine the original function,
y = f(x).

Key Ideas

If f(x) = x, then _1 =_1 _1

x , where f(x) denotes a reciprocal function.
f(x)
You can obtain the graph of y = _1 from the graph of y = f(x) by using
f(x)
the following guidelines:
 The non-permissible values of the reciprocal function are related to the
position of the vertical asymptotes. These are also the non-permissible
values of the corresponding rational expression, where the reciprocal
function is undefined.
 Invariant points occur when the function f(x) has a value of 1 or -1. To
determine the x-coordinates of the invariant points, solve the equations
f(x) = ±1.
 The y-coordinates of the points on the graph of the reciprocal function
are the reciprocals of the y-coordinates of the corresponding points on the
graph of y = f(x).
 As the value of x approaches a non-permissible value, the absolute value of
the reciprocal function gets very large.
 As the absolute value of x gets very large, the absolute value of the
reciprocal function approaches zero.

402 MHR • Chapter 7

 The domain of the reciprocal function is the same as the domain of the
original function, excluding the non-permissible values.
y

6
asymptote
4
y=x+2
invariant
2 1
points y = _____
x+2
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2

-4

-6

Check Your Understanding

Practise 2. For each function,

1. Given the function y = f(x), write the i) state the zeros
corresponding reciprocal function. ii) write the reciprocal function
a) y = -x + 2 iii) state the non-permissible values of the
b) y = 3x - 5 corresponding rational expression
c) y = x2 - 9 iv) explain how the zeros of the
original function are related to
d) y = x2 - 7x + 10
the non-permissible values of the
reciprocal function
v) state the equation(s) of the vertical
asymptote(s)
a) f(x) = x + 5 b) g(x) = 2x + 1
2
c) h(x) = x - 16 d) t(x) = x2 + x - 12

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 403

 3. State the equation(s) of the vertical b) y
asymptote(s) for each function. 4
y = f(x)
a) f(x) = __
1
5x - 10 2

b) f(x) = __
1
3x + 7 -4 -2 0 2 4 x

c) f(x) = ___
1 -2
(x - 2)(x + 4)
-4
d) f(x) = ___
1
x2 - 9x + 20
4. The calculator screen gives a function table c) y
for f(x) = __ 1 . Explain why there is an
8
y = f(x)
x-3
undefined statement. 6

-4 -2 0 2 4 6x
-2

7. Sketch the graphs of y = f (x) and y = _

1
5. What are the x-intercept(s) and the f(x)
y-intercept of each function? on the same set of axes. Label the
a) f(x) = __
1 asymptotes, the invariant points, and
x+5 the intercepts.
b) f(x) = __
1
3x - 4 a) f(x) = x - 16

c) f(x) = __
1 b) f(x) = 2x + 4
x2 - 9
c) f(x) = 2x - 6
d) f(x) = ___
1
x2 + 7x + 12 d) f(x) = x - 1
6. Copy each graph of y = f(x), and sketch the 8. Sketch the graphs of y = f (x) and
graph of the reciprocal function y = _
1 . y=_ 1 on the same set of axes.
f(x) f(x)
Describe your method. Label the asymptotes, the invariant
a) y points, and the intercepts.
y = f(x)
4 a) f(x) = x2 - 16

2
b) f(x) = x2 - 2x - 8
c) f(x) = x2 - x - 2
-4 -2 0 2 4 x d) f(x) = x2 + 2
-2

-4

404 MHR • Chapter 7

9. Match the graph of the function with the A y
graph of its reciprocal. 4 1
y = ___
a) y f(x)
4 2
y = f(x)
2
-4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2
-2 0 2 4 x
-2 -4

-4
B y

b) y 6
y = f(x)
8 4
1
6 y = ___
2 f(x)

4
-4 -2 0 2 4 x
2 -2

-2 0 2 4 6x
C y
1
y = ___
c) y 4 f(x)
4
y = f(x) 2
2
-2 0 2 4 6 x
-2 0 2 4 x -2
-2

D y
1
d) y y = ___
4 f(x)
4
y = f(x) 2
2
-2 0 2 4 6 x
-2 0 2 4 x -2
-2
-4

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 405

Apply 12. The greatest amount of time, t, in minutes,
10. Each of the following is the graph that a scuba diver can take to rise toward
of a reciprocal function, y = _
1 . the water surface without stopping for
f(x) decompression is defined by the function

t = __
i) Sketch the graph of the original 525
, where d is the depth, in
function, y = f(x). d - 10
ii) Explain the strategies you used. metres, of the diver.
iii) What is the original function, y = f(x)? a) Graph the function using graphing
technology.
a) y
b) Determine a suitable domain which
2
(4, 1) represents this application.
-2 0 2 4 6 8 x c) Determine the maximum time without
-2 stopping for a scuba diver who is 40 m
deep.
d) Graph a second
b)
function, t = 40. Find
ind
2 (
-1, - 1
_
4 ) the intersection point
int
of the two graphs.
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x Interpret this pointt
-2 in terms of the scubaba
diver rising to the
surface. Check thiss
11. You can model the swinging motion of a result algebraically
y
pendulum using many mathematical rules. with the original
For example, the frequency, f, or number function.
of vibrations per second of one swing, in
e) Does this graph
hertz (Hz), equals the reciprocal of the
have a horizontal
period, T, in seconds, of the swing. The
asymptote? What
formula is f = _1.
does this mean
T
a) Sketch the graph of the function f = _ .
1 with respect to the
T scuba diver?
b) What is the reciprocal function?
c) Determine the frequency of a pendulum
with a period of 2.5 s.
d) What is the period of a pendulum with
a frequency of 1.6 Hz?

D id Yo u Know ?

Much of the mathematics D i d You K n ow ?

of pendulum motion was
If scuba divers rise to the water surface too quickly,
described by Galileo, based
they may experience decompression sickness or
on his curiosity about a
the bends, which is caused by breathing nitrogen or
swinging lamp in the
other gases under pressure. The nitrogen bubbles
Cathedral of Pisa, Italy. His
are released into the bloodstream and obstruct blood
work led to much more
flow, causing joint pain.
accurate measurement of
time on clocks.

406 MHR • Chapter 7

13. The pitch, p, in hertz (Hz), of a musical 15. a) Describe how to find the vertex of the
note is the reciprocal of the period, P, in parabola defined by f(x) = x2 - 6x - 7.
seconds, of the sound wave for that note b) Explain how knowing the vertex in
created by the air vibrations. part a) would help you to graph the
a) Write a function for pitch, p, in terms of function g(x) = ___ 1 .
period, P. x2 - 6x - 7
c) Sketch the graph of g(x) = ___
1 .
b) Sketch the graph of the function. x2 - 6x - 7
c) What is the pitch, to the nearest 0.1 Hz, 16. The amount of time, t, to complete a large
for a musical note with period 0.048 s? job is proportional to the reciprocal of the
number of workers, n, on the job. This can
be expressed as t = k _ 1
( ) _k
n or t = n , where
k is a constant. For example, the Spiral
Tunnels built by the Canadian Pacific
Railroad in Kicking Horse Pass, British
Columbia, were a major engineering feat
when they opened in 1909. Building two
spiral tracks each about 1 km long required
1000 workers to work about 720 days.
Suppose that each worker performed a
similar type of work.

14. The intensity, I, in watts per square metre

(W/m2), of a sound equals 0.004 multiplied
by the reciprocal of the square of the
distance, d, in metres, from the source of
the sound.
a) Substitute the given values of t and n
a) Write a function for I in terms of d to
into the formula to find the constant k.
represent this relationship.
b) Use technology to graph the function
b) Graph this function for a domain of
d > 0. t=_
k
n.
c) What is the intensity of a car horn for c) How much time would have been
a person standing 5 m from the car? required to complete the Spiral Tunnels
if only 400 workers were on the job?
d) Determine the number of workers
needed if the job was to be completed
in 500 days.

D i d You K n ow ?

Kicking Horse Pass is in Yoho National Park. Yoho is a

Cree word meaning great awe or astonishment. This
may be a reference to the soaring peaks, the rock
walls, and the spectacular Takakkaw Falls nearby.

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 407

Extend 20. The diagram shows how an object forms
17. Use the summary of information to an inverted image on the opposite side
produce the graphs of both y = f(x) of a convex lens, as in many cameras.
and y = _ 1 , given that f(x) is a Scientists discovered the relationship
f(x) _1 + _1 = _1
linear function. u v f
where u is the distance from the object to
Interval of x x<3 x>3
the lens, v is the distance from the lens to
Sign of f (x) + -
the image, and f is the focal length of the
Direction of f (x) decreasing decreasing lens being used.
Sign of
_1
+ -
f(x) object image

Direction of
_
1 increasing increasing
f(x)

18. Determine whether each statement is true

or false, and explain your reasoning.
a) The graph of y = _
1 always has a
f(x) u v
vertical asymptote.
b) A function in the form of y = _
1 a) Determine the distance, v, between the
f(x) lens and the image if the distance, u, to
always has at least one value for the object is 300 mm and the lens has a
which it is not defined. focal length, f, of 50 mm.

c) The domain of y = _
1 is always b) Determine the focal length of a zoom
f(x) lens if an object 10 000 mm away
the same as the domain of y = f(x). produces an inverted image 210 mm
behind the lens.
Create Connections 21. MINI LAB Use technology to explore the
19. Rita and Jerry are discussing how behaviour of a graph near the vertical
to determine the asymptotes of the asymptote and the end behaviour of
reciprocal of a given function. Rita the graph.
concludes that you can determine the Consider the function
roots of the corresponding equation, and
f(x) = __ 1 ,x≠_ 1.
those values will lead to the equations of 4x - 2 2
the asymptotes. Jerry assumes that when Step 1 Sketch the graph of the function
the function is written in rational form, f(x) = __ 1 ,x≠_ 1 , drawing in
you can determine the non-permissible 4x - 2 2
the vertical asymptote.
values. The non-permissible values will
lead to the equations of the asymptotes.
a) Which student has made a correct
assumption? Explain your choice.
b) Is this true for both a linear and a

quadratic function?

408 MHR • Chapter 7

Step 2 a) Copy and complete the tables to b) Describe what happens to the
show the behaviour of the function graph of the reciprocal function
-
as x → _ 1 and as x → _
( ) 1 +,
( ) as |x| becomes very large.
2 2
meaning when x approaches _ 1 from 22. Copy and complete the flowchart to
2 describe the relationship between
the left (-) and from the right (+). a function and its corresponding
- reciprocal function.
As x → _
1 :
( ) As x → _
1 +:
( )
2 2 Functions
x f(x) x f(x) 1
y = f (x) y = ___
0 -0.5 1 0.5 f (x)

0.4 0.6 The absolute value of

0.45 0.55 the function gets
very large.
0.47 0.53
0.49 0.51
0.495 0.505 Reciprocal values are
positive.
0.499 0.501

b) Describe the behaviour of

the function as the value of x
Function values are
approaches the asymptote. Will negative.
this always happen?
Step 3 a) To explore the end behaviour of
the function, the absolute value of The zeros of the
x is made larger and larger. Copy function are the
x-intercepts of the graph.
and complete the tables for values
of x that are farther and farther
from zero. The value of the
reciprocal function
As x becomes smaller:
is 1.
x f(x)
-10 -_1
42 The absolute value of
-100 the function approaches
zero.
-1000
-10 000
The value of the
-100 000
function is -1.

As x becomes larger:
x f(x)
10
_
1
38
100
1 000
10 000
100 000

7.4 Reciprocal Functions • MHR 409

 Chapter 7 Review
7.1 Absolute Value, pages 358—367 5. Over the course of five weekdays,
1. Evaluate. one mining stock on the Toronto
Stock Exchange (TSX) closed at $4.28
a) |-5| | _43 |
b) 2 c) |-6.7|
on Monday, closed higher at $5.17
2. Rearrange these numbers in order from on Tuesday, finished Wednesday at
least to greatest. $4.79, and shot up to close at $7.15
|-3.5|, -2.7, - _
__ 9 , |-1.6|, 1 _
1 on Thursday, only to finish the week
-4, √9 ,
2| | | |2 at $6.40.
3. Evaluate each expression. a) What is the net change in the
a) |-7 - 2| closing value of this stock for
b) |-3 + 11 - 6| the week?

c) 5|-3.75| b) Determine the total change in the

closing value of the stock.
d) |52 - 7| + |-10 + 23|
4. A school group travels to Mt. Robson
Provincial Park in British Columbia 7.2 Absolute Value Functions, pages 368—379
to hike the Berg Lake Trail. From the 6. Consider the functions f(x) = 5x + 2 and
Robson River bridge, kilometre 0.0, they g(x) = |5x + 2|.
hike to Kinney Lake, kilometre 4.2, where
a) Create a table of values for each
they stop for lunch. They then trek across
function, using values of -2, -1, 0, 1,
the suspension bridge to the campground,
and 2 for x.
kilometre 10.5. The next day they hike
to the shore of Berg Lake and camp, b) Plot the points and sketch the graphs
kilometre 19.6. On day three, they hike of the functions on the same coordinate
to the Alberta/British Columbia border, grid.
kilometre 21.9, and turn around and return c) Determine the domain and range for
to the campground near Emperor Falls, both f(x) and g(x).
kilometre 15.0. On the final day, they walk d) List the similarities and the differences
back out to the trailhead, kilometre 0.0. between the two functions and their
What total distance did the school corresponding graphs.
group hike?
7. Consider the functions f(x) = 8 - x2 and
g(x) = |8 - x2|.
a) Create a table of values for each
function, using values of -2, -1, 0, 1,
and 2 for x.
b) Plot the points and sketch the graphs
of the functions on the same coordinate
grid.
c) Determine the domain and range for
both f(x) and g(x).
d) List the similarities and the differences
between the two functions and their
corresponding graphs.

410 MHR • Chapter 7

 8. Write the piecewise function that 12. Solve each equation algebraically.
represents each graph. a) |q + 9| = 2
a) y b) |7x - 3| = x + 1
4
c) |x2 - 6x| = x
2 y = |2x - 4| d) 3x - 1 = |4x2 - x - 4|
13. In coastal communities, the depth, d, in
-2 0 2 4 6 x
metres, of water in the harbour varies
during the day according to the tides. The
b) y
maximum depth of the water occurs at
2 high tide and the minimum occurs at low
1
tide. Two low tides and two high tides will
generally occur over a 24-h period. On one
particular day in Prince Rupert, British
-2 -1 0 1 2 x
y = |x2 - 1| Columbia, the depth of the first high tide
and the first low tide can be determined
9. a) Explain why the functions
using the equation |d - 4.075| = 1.665.
f(x) = 3x2 + 7x + 2 and
g(x) = |3x2 + 7x + 2| have
different graphs.
b) Explain why the functions
f(x) = 3x2 + 4x + 2 and
g(x) = |3x2 + 4x + 2| have
identical graphs.
10. An absolute value function has the form
f(x) = |ax + b|, where a ≠ 0, b ≠ 0, and
a, b ∈ R. If the function f(x) has a domain
of {x | x ∈ R}, a range of {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R},
an x-intercept occurring at - _ 2 , 0 , and a
( )
3
y-intercept occurring at (0, 10), what are
the values of a and b?

7.3 Absolute Value Equations, pages 380—391 a) Find the depth of the water, in metres,
at the first high tide and the first low
11. Solve each absolute value equation
tide in Prince Rupert on this day.
graphically. Express answers to the
nearest tenth, when necessary. b) Suppose the low tide and high tide
depths for Prince Rupert on the next
a) |2x - 2| = 9
day are 2.94 m, 5.71 m, 2.28 m, and
b) |7 + 3x| = x - 1 4.58 m. Determine the total change in
c) |x2 - 6| = 3 water depth that day.
d) |m2 - 4m| = 5

Chapter 7 Review • MHR 411

14. The mass, m, in kilograms, of a bushel of 16. Sketch the graphs of y = f (x) and y = _
1
f(x)
wheat depends on its moisture content.
on the same set of axes. Label the
Dry wheat has moisture content as low
asymptotes, the invariant points, and
as 5% and wet wheat has moisture
the intercepts.
content as high as 50%. The equation
|m - 35.932| = 11.152 can be used to find a) f(x) = 4x - 9 b) f(x) = 2x + 5
the extreme masses for both a dry and 17. For each function,
a wet bushel of wheat. What are these i) determine the corresponding reciprocal
function, y = _
two masses? 1
f(x)
ii) state the non-permissible values of
x and the equation(s) of the vertical
asymptote(s) of the reciprocal function
iii) determine the x-intercepts and the
y-intercept of the reciprocal function
iv) sketch the graphs of y = f(x) and
y=_ 1 on the same set of axes
f(x)
a) f(x) = x2 - 25
b) f(x) = x2 - 6x + 5
7.4 Reciprocal Functions, pages 392—409 18. The force, F, in newtons (N), required to
15. Copy each graph of y = f(x) and sketch lift an object with a lever is proportional to
the graph of the corresponding reciprocal the reciprocal of the distance, d, in metres,

function, y = _ 1 . Label the asymptotes, of the force from the fulcrum of a lever.
f(x) The fulcrum is the point on which a lever
the invariant points, and the intercepts. pivots. Suppose this relationship can be
modelled by the function F = _ 600
a) y .
d
-4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2
y = f(x)
-4
Crowbar
-6
Fulcrum

b) y
a) Determine the force required to lift an
y = f(x)
8 object if the force is applied 2.5 m from
the fulcrum.
6
b) Determine the distance from the
4 fulcrum of a 450-N force applied to lift
2 an object.
c) How does the force needed to lift an
-6 -4 -2 0 2 x object change if the distance from the
fulcrum is doubled? tripled?

412 MHR • Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Practice Test
Multiple Choice 5. One of the vertical asymptotes of the graph
of the reciprocal function y = __
1
For #1 to #5, choose the best answer. x2 - 16
has equation
1. The value of the expression
A x=0
|-9 - 3| - |5 - 23| + |-7 + 1 - 4| is
B x=4
A 13
C x=8
B 19
D x = 16
C 21
D 25 Short Answer
2. The range of the function f(x) = |x - 3| is 6. Consider the function f(x) = |2x - 7|.
A {y | y > 3, y ∈ R} a) Sketch the graph of the function.
B {y | y ≥ 3, y ∈ R} b) Determine the intercepts.
C {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} c) State the domain and range.
D {y | y > 0, y ∈ R} d) What is the piecewise notation form of
3. The absolute value equation |1 - 2x| = 9 the function?
has solution(s) 7. Solve the equation |3x2 - x| = 4x - 2
A x = -4
algebraically.
8. Solve the equation |2w - 3| = w + 1
B x=5
graphically.
C x = -5 and x = 4
D x = -4 and x = 5 Extended Response
4. The graph represents the reciprocal of 9. Determine the error(s) in the following
which quadratic function? solution. Explain how to correct the
y solution.
1 Solve |x - 4| = x2 + 4x.
4 y = ___
f(x)
Case 1
2
x+4= x2 + 4x
0= x2 + 3x - 4
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
0= (x + 4)(x - 1)
-2
x+4= 0 or x - 1 = 0
-4 x= -4 or x=1
Case 2
-x - 4 = x2 + 4x
2
A f(x) = x + x - 2 0 = x2 + 5x + 4
B f(x) = x2 - 3x + 2 0 = (x + 4)(x + 1)
C f(x) = x2 - x - 2
x+4 = 0 or x + 1 = 0
x = -4 or x = -1
D f(x) = x2 + 3x + 2
The solutions are x = -4, x = -1,
and x = 1.

Chapter 7 Practice Test • MHR 413

10. Consider the function f(x) = 6 - 5x. 12. Astronauts in space feel lighter because
a) Determine its reciprocal function. weight decreases as a person moves
away from the gravitational pull of Earth.
b) State the equations of any vertical
Weight, Wh, in newtons (N), at a particular
asymptotes of the reciprocal function. height, h, in kilometres, above Earth is
c) Graph the function f(x) and its related to the reciprocal of that height by
reciprocal function. Describe a strategy We
the formula Wh = ___ , where We is
that could be used to sketch the graph _ 2

of any reciprocal function. (

h +1
6400 )
the person’s weight, in newtons (N), at sea
11. A biologist studying Canada geese
level on Earth.
migration analysed the vee flight formation
of a particular flock using a coordinate
system, in metres. The centre of each bird
was assigned a coordinate point. The lead
bird has the coordinates (0, 0), and the
coordinates of two birds at the ends of
each leg are (6.2, 15.5) and (-6.2, 15.5).
Bottom View of Flying Geese
y
(-6.2, 15.5) (6.2, 15.5)
16

12

-6 -4 -2 0 (0, 0) 2 4 6 x
-2

a) Write an absolute value function Canadian astronauts Julie Payette and Bob Thirsk
whose graph contains each leg of the
a) Sketch the graph of the function for
vee formation.
an astronaut whose weight is 750 N at
b) What is the angle between the legs of sea level.
the vee formation, to the nearest tenth b) Determine this astronaut’s weight at a
of a degree? height of
c) The absolute value function y = |2.8x| i) 8 km ii) 2000 km
describes the flight pattern of a different c) Determine the range of heights for
flock of geese. What is the angle which this astronaut will have a weight
between the legs of this vee formation, of less than 30 N.
to the nearest tenth of a degree?
D i d You K n ow ?

When people go into space, their mass remains

constant but their weight decreases because of
the reduced gravity.

414 MHR • Chapter 7

Unit 3 Project Wrap-Up
Space: Past, Present, Future
Complete at least one of the following options.

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Research a radical equation Research rational expressions A company specializing in
or a formula related to space related to space anomalies. space tourism to various
exploration or the historical regions of the galaxy is
• Search the Internet for a
contributions of an astronomer. sponsoring a logo design
rational expression that is
contest. The winner gets a free
• Search the Internet for related to space-time, black
ticket to the destination of his
an equation or a formula holes, solar activity, or
or her choice.
involving radicals that another space-related topic.
is related to motion or • Research the topic to • The company’s current logo
distance in space or for an determine why it involves a is made up of the following
astronomer whose work led rational expression. absolute value functions and
to discoveries in these areas. reciprocal functions.
• Write a one-page report on  y = -|x| + 6, -6 ≤ x ≤ 6
• Research the formula to your topic choice, including  y = |2x|, -2 ≤ x ≤ 2
determine why it involves the following:
a radical, or research the  a brief description of the
 y =
__ 1 , -1.95 ≤ x ≤ 1.95
x2 - 4
mathematics behind the space anomaly you chose _1 , -1 ≤ x ≤ -0.5
 y = -
astronomer’s discovery. and its significance x2
and 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1
• Prepare a poster for your  identification of the

topic choice. Your poster rational expression you y

should include the following: are using 6
 background information  an explanation of the
4
on the astronomer mathematics involved
or the origin of the and how it helps to model 2
radical equation you are the anomaly
presenting  sources of all research
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6x
 an explanation of the used in your report -2
mathematics involved and
how the formula relates to -4
distance or motion in space
 sources of all materials you • Design a new logo for this
used in your research company.
• The logo must include both
reciprocal functions and
absolute value functions.
• Draw your logo. List the
functions you use, as well
as the domains necessary for
the logo.

Unit 3 Project Wrap-Up • MHR 415

Cumulative Review, Chapters 5—7
Chapter 5 Radical Expressions Chapter 6 Rational Expressions
and Equations and Equations
___
1. Express 3xy 3 √2x as an entire radical. 9. Simplify each expression. Identify any
________
2. Express √48a3b2c5 as a simplified mixed non-permissible values.

a) __
radical. 12a3b
3. Order the set of numbers from least to
48a2b4
b) ___
greatest. 4-x
__ ___ __ ___ __ 3
__ x2 - 8x + 16
3 √6 , √36 , 2 √3 , √18 , 2 √9 , √8
c) ___ ÷ __
(x - 3)(x + 5) x+2
4. Simplify each expression. Identify any x2 - 1 x-3
restrictions on the values for the variables.
d) __ × __
___ ___ 5x - 10 3x
a) 4 √2a + 5 √2a 6x 15x - 30
_____ ___
( __
x + 2 __ x - 9 ÷ __x+3
2

x - 3 )( x - 4 ) ( x - 2 )
b) 10 √20x2 - 3x √45 e) 2
5. Simplify. Identify any restrictions on the
values of the variable in part c). 10. Determine the sum or difference. Express
__ __
3 3
a) 2 √4 (-4 √6 ) answers in lowest terms. Identify any
__ ___ __ non-permissible values.
b) √6 ( √12 - √3 )
a) __ + __
__ __ __ __ 10 a-1
c) (6 √a + √3 )(2 √a - √4 ) a+2 a-7
b) __ - __
6. Rationalize each denominator. 3x + 2 x-5
___
_
√12 x+4 x2 - 4
a) __
c) __ - ___
√4 2x 3
__
2 __ x2 - 25 x2 - 4x - 5
b)
2+ √3 11. Sandra simplified the expression
__ ___
__
√7
+ √28 ___
(x + 2)(x + 5)
to x + 2. She stated
c) __ ___ x+5
√7 - √14
______ that they were equivalent expressions.
7. Solve the radical equation √x + 6 = x. Do you agree or disagree with Sandra’s
Verify your answers. statement? Provide a reason for
8. On a children’s roller coaster ride, the your answer.
speed in a loop depends on the height of 12. When two triangles are similar, you can
the hill the car has just come down and the use the proportion of corresponding sides
radius of the loop. The velocity, v, in feet to determine an unknown dimension.
per second, of a car at the top of a loop of Solve the rational equation to determine
radius, r, in feet, is given by the formula the value of x.
_______
v = √h - 2r , where h is the height of the __
x+4
=_x
previous hill, in feet. 4 3
4
a) Find the height of the hill when the
velocity at the top of the loop is 20 ft/s 3
x
and the radius of the loop is 15 ft.
b) Would you expect the velocity of the
car to increase or decrease as the radius
of the loop increases? Explain your x
reasoning.

416 MHR • Chapter 7

13. If a point is selected at random 17. Solve algebraically. Verify your solutions.
from a figure and is equally likely a) |2x - 1| = 9 b) |2x 2 - 5| = 13
to be any point inside the figure,
18. The area, A, of a triangle on a coordinate
then the probability that a point
grid with vertices at (0, 0), (a, b), and
is in the shaded region is given by
(c, d) can be calculated using the formula
area of shaded region
P = ____ A=_ 1 |ad - bc|.
area of entire figure 2
What is the probability that the a) Why do you think absolute value must
point is in the shaded region? be used in the formula for area?
b) Determine the area of a triangle with
8x vertices at (0, 0), (-5, 2), and (-3, 4).
4x 19. Sketch the graph of y = f(x) given the
graph of y = _ 1 . What is the original
f(x)
function, y = f(x)?
y
1
y = ___
4 f(x)
Chapter 7 Absolute Value and
Reciprocal Functions 2
(5, 1)
14. Order the values from least to greatest.
-2 0 2 4 6 8 x
|-5|, |4 - 6|, |2(-4) - 5|, |8.4|
-2
15. Write the piecewise function that
represents each graph.
a) y 20. Copy the graph of y = f(x), and sketch the

4 graph of the reciprocal function y = _ 1 .

f(x)
Discuss your method.
2
y = |3x - 6|
y
-2 0 2 4 6 x 4
y = f(x)
2
b) y
6 1
y = _ (x - 2)2 - 3 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
3
4 -2

2 21. Sketch the graph of y = _

1 given
f(x)
-2 0 2 4 6 x
f(x) = (x + 2)2. Label the asymptotes, the
invariant points, and the intercepts.

16. For each absolute value function, 22. Consider the function f(x) = 3x - 1.

i) sketch the graph a) What characteristics of the graph of y = f(x)

are different from those of y = |f (x)|?
ii) determine the intercepts
b) Describe how the graph of y = f(x) is
iii) determine the domain and range
different from the graph of y = _ 1 .
a) y = |3x - 7| b) y = |x2 - 3x - 4| f(x)

Cumulative Review, Chapters 5—7 • MHR 417

Unit 3 Test
Multiple Choice 6. Arrange the expressions |4 - 11|, _1 |-5|,
5
For #1 to #8, choose the best answer. |1-_ 1 , and |2| - |4| in order from least
|
4
1. What is the entire radical form of to greatest.
_____
A |4 - 11|, _ |-5|, 1 - _ , |2| - |4|
1 1
3
2( √-27 )?
3
_____ 5 4 | |
A √-54
B |2| - |4|, 1 - _ , _ |-5|, |4 - 11|
1 1
B
3
______
√-108 |4 5 |
______
C |2| - |4|, _ |-5|, 1 - _ , |4 - 11|
3
1 1
C √-216
3
______ 5 4 | |
D √-432
D 1 - _ , _ |-5|, |4 - 11|, |2| - |4|
1 1
2. What is the simplified form of
_____
| 4 5 |
__
4 √72x 5
__ , x > 0? 7. Which of the following statements is false?
x √8 ____ __ __ ____
A √n √m = √mn
A __
2x3
12 √__ ___ __
√2
___ B ____ = √_
√18 1
B 4x √ 3x √36 2
____ __ ____
C __ _ __
3
6 2x
√ √7 √14n
__ C ___ =
√2 √8n 4n
__ ________
D 12x √x
______ D √m2 + n2 = m + n
2
3. Determine the root(s) of x + 2 = √x + 3 .
8. The graph of y = _
1 has vertical
A x = - _ and x = 3
1 f(x)
4 asymptotes at x = -2 and x = 5 and a
B x = -_
1 horizontal asymptote at y = 0. Which
4 of the following statements is possible?
C x = _ and x = -3
1 A f(x) = (x + 2)(x + 5)
4
B f(x) = x2 - 3x - 10
D x= _
1
4 C The domain of f(x) is
4. Simplify the rational expression __
9x4 - 27x6
{x | x ≠ -2, x ≠ -5, x ∈ R}.
3x3
D The range of y = _ is {y | y ∈ R}.
for all permissible values of x. 1
f(x)
A 3x(1 - 3x)
B 3x(1 - 9x5) Numerical Response
3
C 3x - 9x Copy and complete the statements in #9
D 9x3 - 9x4 to #13.
_______
5. Which expression could be used to 9. The radical √3x - 9 results in real
determine the length of the line segment numbers when x ≥ .
between the points (4, -3) and (-6, -3)?
10. When the denominator
__
of the
A -6 - 4 _
√5
expression __ is rationalized,
B 4-6 3 √2
the expression becomes .
C |4 - 6|
D |-6 - 4|

418 MHR • Chapter 7

11. The expression__
3x - 7
- __
x-k , 18. Consider the function y = |2x - 5|.
x + 11 x + 11
x ≠ -11, simplifies to __
2x + 21 a) Sketch the graph of the function.
x + 11 b) Determine the intercepts.
when the value of k is .
c) State the domain and range.
12. The lesser solution to the absolute value
equation |1 - 4x| = 9 is x = . d) What is the piecewise notation form of
the function?
13. The graph of the reciprocal function
__
1 19. Solve |x2 - 3x| = 2. Verify your solutions
f(x) = has vertical asymptotes
x2 - 4 graphically.
with equations x =  and x = . 20. Consider f(x) = x2 + 2x - 8. Sketch
the graph of y = f(x) and the graph of
Written Response
y=_ 1 on the same set of axes. Label
14. Order the numbers from least to greatest.
f(x)
__ __ __ the asymptotes, the invariant points, and
3 √7 , 4 √5 , 6 √2 , 5 the intercepts.
_______ _______
15. Consider the equation √3x + 4 = √2x - 5 . 21. In the sport of curling, players measure
a) Describe a possible first step to solve the “weight” of their shots by timing the
the radical equation. stone between two marked lines on the
b) Determine the restrictions on the values ice, usually the hog lines, which are 72 ft
for the variable x. apart. The weight, or average speed, s, of
the curling stone is proportional to the
c) Algebraically determine all roots of
reciprocal of the time, t, it takes to travel
the equation.
between hog lines.
d) Verify the solutions by substitution.
16. Simplify the expression
___
4x 2
+ 4x - 8
÷ ___
2x2 + 3x - 2
.
2
x - 5x + 4 4x2 + 8x - 5
List all non-permissible values
for the variable.
17. The diagram shows two similar triangles.
x

x+3 x

7
Canadian women curlers at 2010 Vancouver Olympics

a) If d = 72, rewrite the formula d = st as

a) Write a proportion that relates the sides a function in terms of s.
of the similar triangles. b) What is the weight of a stone that takes
b) Determine the non-permissible values 14.5 s to travel between hog lines?
for the rational equation. c) How much time is required for a stone
c) Algebraically determine the value of x to travel between hog lines if its weight
that makes the triangles similar. is 6.3 ft/s?

Unit 3 Test • MHR 419

 4. a) 7 b) -5 c) 10 d) 13 24. a) i) x = 1, x = -3
5. Examples: ii) x = 1, x = -5; you can verify by trying
a) |2.1 - (-6.7)| = 8.8 b) |5.8 - (-3.4)| = 9.2 them in the equation.
c) |2.1 - (-3.4)| = 5.5 d) |-6.7 - 5.8| = 12.5 b) It has no zeros. This method can only be
6. a) 10 b) -2.8 c) 5.25 d) 9 e) 17 used for functions that have zeros.
7. Examples: 25. Example: Squaring a number makes it positive,
a) |3 - 8| = 5 b) |-8 - 12| = 20 while the square root returns only the positive root.
c) |9 - 2| = 7 d) |15 - (-7)| = 22
e) |a - b| f) |m - n| 7.2 Absolute Value Functions, pages 375 to 379
8. |7 - (-11)| + |-9 - 7|; 34 °C
1. a) x y = |f(x)| b) x y = |f(x)|
9. Example:
|24 - 0| + |24 - 10| + |24 - 17| + |24 - 30| + -2 3 -2 0
|24 - 42| + |24 - 55| + |24 - 72|; 148 km -1 1 -1 2
10. 1743 miles
0 1 0 2
11. a) $369.37
b) The net change is the change from the 1 3 1 0
beginning point to the end point. The 2 5 2 4
total change is all the changes in between
2. (-5, 8)
added up.
3. x-intercept: 3; y-intercept: 4
12. a) 7.5 b) 90 c) 0.875
4. x-intercepts: -2, 7; y-intercept: _3
13. 4900 m or 4.9 km 2
14. a) 1649 ft b) 2325 ft 5. a) b)
15. $0.36 y y
16. a) 6 km b) 9 km
4 4
17. a) The students get the same result of 90.66.
b) It does not matter the order in which you y = |f(x)|
2 2
y = |f(x)|
square something and take the absolute
value of it. x
-4 -2 0 2x -2 0 2 4
c) Yes, because the result of squaring a number is
-2 -2
the same whether it was positive or negative. y = f(x) y = f(x)
18. a) Michel looks at both cases; the argument is
either positive or negative.
c) y
x - 7 if x ≥ 7
b) i) |x - 7| = { 7 - x if x < 7 4

2x - 1 if x ≥ _ 1
ii) |2x - 1| =
{1 - 2x if x < _
2
1
2
-2 0
2

2
y = |f(x)|

4 x
3 - x, if x ≤ 3
{
iii) |3 - x| =
x - 3, if x > 3
-2
y = f(x)
iv) x 2 + 4
19. Example: Changing +5 to -5 is incorrect.
6. a) x-intercept: 3; y-intercept: 6;
Example: Change the sign so that it is positive.
domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
20. 83 mm
y
21. Example: when you want just the speed of
something and not the velocity 4
22. Example: signed because you want positive for
up, negative for down, and zero for the top 2
23. a) 176 cm
b) 4; 5; 2; 1; 4; 8; 1; 1; 2; 28 is the sum -2 0 2 4 x
c) 3.11 y = |2x - 6|
-2
d) It means that most of the players are within
3.11 cm of the mean.

560 MHR • Answers

 b) x-intercept: -5; y-intercept: 5; b) y
domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
4
y = |f(x)|
y
2
4
y = |x + 5|
2 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2
y = f(x)
-6 -4 -2 0 x

c) y = |f(x)| y
c) x-intercept: -2; y-intercept: 6;
domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} 4
f(x)
2
4
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2x
2
-2

-6 -4 -2 0 x y = f(x)
-4
f(x) = |-3x - 6|

d) x-intercept: -3; y-intercept: 3; 8. a) x-intercepts: -2, 2; y-intercept: 4;

domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
y
g(x)
g(x) = |-x - 3| 4
4

2
2

-4 -2 0 2 x
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2x y = |x2 - 4|

e) x-intercept: 4; y-intercept: 2; b) x-intercepts: -3, -2; y-intercept: 6;

domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
y y
y= 1
_x - 2
| | 4
2 2

2
-2 0 2 4 6 x

-6 -4 -2 0 x
f) x-intercept: -9; y-intercept: 3; y = |x2 + 5x + 6|
domain {x | x ∈ R}; range {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
c) x-intercepts: -2, 0.5; y-intercept: 2;
h(x)
domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
h(x) = 1|
_x + 3
| 4
3 f(x)
4
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 x
2
7. a) y

4 -6 -4 -2 0 2 x
f(x) = |-2x2 - 3x + 2|
y = |f(x)|
2

-4 -2 0 2 4 x
y = f(x)
-2

Answers • MHR 561

 d) x-intercepts: -6, 6; y-intercept: 9; 12. a) b)
domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} g(x)
x g(x)
y g(x) = |6 - 2x|
-1 8 6
8
0 6 4
y= 1 |
_ x2 - 9
| 2 2
4 4
2
3 0
-8 -4 0 4 8 12 x 5 4
-2 0 2 4 x

e) y-intercept: 10; domain: {x | x ∈ R};

c) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
range: {y | y ≥ 1, y ∈ R} d) y = 6 - 2x if x ≤ 3
g(x) y = 2x - 6 if x > 3
4 13. a) y-intercept: 8; x-intercepts: -2, 4
b) g(x)
g(x) = |(x - 3)2 + 1|
2
8

0 2 4 6 8 10 x 4

f) y-intercept: 16; domain: {x | x ∈ R}; -4 -2 0 2 4 6 x

range: {y | y ≥ 4, y ∈ R} g(x) = |x2 - 2x - 8|

h(x) c) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}

d) y = x 2 - 2x - 8 if x ≤ -2 or x ≥ 4;
6
y = -x 2 + 2x + 8 if -2 < x < 4
14. a) x-intercepts: - _ , 2; y-intercept: 4
4 2
h(x) = |-3(x + 2)2 - 4| 3
2 b) g(x)
4
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 x g(x) = |3x - 4x - 4|
2
2

9. a) y = 2x - 2 if x ≥ 1
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 x
y = 2 - 2x if x < 1
b) y = 3x + 6 if x ≥ -2
y = -3x - 6 if x < -2 c) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
c) y = _ x - 1 if x ≥ 2 _2 or x ≥ 2;
1
d) y = 3x 2 - 4x - 4 if x ≤ -
2 3
y=1-_ 1 x if x < 2
y = -3x 2 + 4x + 4 if - _
2 <x<2
2 3
10. a) y = 2x 2 - 2 if x ≤ -1 or x ≥ 1 15. Michael is right. Since the vertex of the original
y = -2x 2 + 2 if -1 < x < 1 function is below the x-axis, the absolute value
b) y = (x - 1.5)2 - 0.25 if x ≤ 1 or x ≥ 2 function will have a different range and a
y = -(x - 1.5)2 + 0.25 if 1 < x < 2 different graph.
c) y = 3(x - 2)2 - 3 if x ≤ 1 or x ≥ 3 16. a) y y = |0.475x - 55.1|
y = -3(x - 2)2 + 3 if 1 < x < 3
11. a) y = x - 4 if x ≥ 4 40
y = 4 - x, if x < 4
b) y = 3x + 5 if x ≥ - _ 120 160 200 x
5 0 40 80
3
y = -3x - 5 if x < - _ 5
b) (116, 0)
3
c) y = -x 2 + 1 if -1 ≤ x ≤ 1 c) (236, 57) is where the puck will be at the
y = x 2 - 1 if x < -1 or x > 1 far side of the table, which is right in the
d) y = x 2 - x - 6 if x ≤ -2 or x ≥ 3 middle of the goal.
y = -x 2 + x + 6 if -2 < x < 3

562 MHR • Answers

17. The distance travelled is 13 m. 29. Examples:
18. a) The two graphs are identical. They are Step 1 Yes.
identical because one is the negative of the Step 2 Absolute value is needed because the
other but since they are in absolute value facility could be to the east or west of each town.
brackets there is no change. total = |x| + |x - 10| + |x - 17| + |x - 30|
y + |x - 42| + |x - 55| + |x - 72|
Step 3 x: [0, 60, 10]
4
y: [-30, 300, 20]
f(x) = |3x - 2| Step 4 The point
2
g(x) = |-3x + 2|
(30, 142) on the graph
shows that there is a
-2 0 2 4 6 x
point that minimizes
the distance to each city. The point represents
b) f (x) = |-4x - 3|
a place 30 km east of Allenby and results in a
19. f (x) = |-x 2 + 6x - 5|
total distance from all towns of 142 km.
b) y = _ (x + 3)2
f(x) 4
6
30. a) y = |(x - 3)2 + 7| |
5 |
c) y = |-x 2 - 6| d) y = |5(x + 3)2 + 3|
4
7.3 Absolute Value Equations, pages 389 to 391
2
1. a) x = -7, x = 7 b) x = -4, x = 4
c) x=0 d) no solution
0 2 4 6 x 2. a) x = -6, x = 14 b) x = -5, x = -1
f(x) = |x2 - 6x + 5|
c) x = -14, x = -2 d) no solution
20. a = -4, b = 6 or a = 4, b = -6 3. a) |x| = 2 b) |x - 2| = 6
21. b = 4; c = -12 c) |x - 4| = 5
22. Example: The square of something is always
4. a) x = -19, x = 5 b) x = _2 , x = 2
positive, so taking the absolute value does nothing. 3
23. Example: No, it is not true for all x, y ∈ R. For c) no solution d) x = 3.5, x = 10.5
instance, if x and y are of different sign the left 5. a) no solution b) x = -9, x = 1
side will not equal the right side. _1
c) m = - , m = 3 d) no solution
3
24.
a = -_
y 11 , a = -3
|x| + |y| = 5 e)
4 3 __
6. a) x = -3, x = √3 b) x = 2, x = 3
2 c) x ≤ -3 or x ≥ 3
__ __
d) x = __
1 + √5
, x = __
√5 - 1

x
2 2
-4 -2 0 2 4
e) x = -4, x = -2, x = 4, x = 6
-2 7. a) |d - 18| = 0.5
b) 17.5 mm and 18.5 mm are allowed
-4
8. a) |c - 299 792 456.2| = 1.1
b) 299 792 455.1 m/s or 299 792 457.3 m/s
25. 9. a) |V - 50 000| = 2000 b) 48 000 L, 52 000 L
Case |x||y| |xy|
10. a) 2.2, 11.8 b) |x - 7| = 4.8
x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0 xy xy 11. a) 66.5 g b) 251 mL and 265 mL
x ≥ 0, y < 0 x(-y) -xy 12. a) perigee: 356 400 km; apogee: 406 700 km
x < 0, y ≥ 0 (-x)y -xy b) Example: The moon is usually around
381 550 km away plus or minus 25 150 km.
x < 0, y < 0 (-x)(-y) xy
13. a) greater than or equal to zero
26. Example: They have the same shape but b) less than or equal to zero

14. a) x = _ if x ≥ 0, x = __ if x < 0;
different positions. b+c -b - c
27. Example: Graph the functions, taking care to a a
allow them only in their specified domain. b + c ≥ 0, a ≠ 0
28. If the discriminant is less than or equal to 0 and b) x = b + c if x ≥ b, x = b - c if x < b; c ≥ 0
a > 0, then the graphs will be equivalent.

Answers • MHR 563

15. Andrea is correct. Erin did not choose the two v) x = -4, x = 4
cases correctly. d) i) x = 3, x = -4 ii) y = 2
1 ___
x + x - 12
16. |t - 11.5| = 2.5; t = 9 °C, t = 14 °C iii) x ≠ 3, x ≠ -4
17. a) |x - 81| = 16.2; 64.8 mg, 97.2 mg iv) The zeros of the original function are
b) Example: They might lean toward the non-permissible values of the reciprocal
97.2 mg because it would provide function.
more relief because there is more v) x = 3, x = -4
b) x = - _
of the active ingredient. 3. a) x = 2
7
3
18. |t - 10| = 2 c) x = 2, x = -4 d) x = 4, x = 5
19. a) sometimes true; x ≠ -1 4. When x = 3, there is a division by zero, which
b) sometimes true; if x = -a, then the solution is undefined.
a) no x-intercepts, y-intercept: _
is 0. For all other values of x, the solution is 1
5.
greater than 0. 5
b) no x-intercepts, y-intercept: - _
c) always true 1
4
20. Examples:
c) no x-intercepts, y-intercept: - _
1
a) |x - 3| = 5 b) |x| = -2 9
d) no x-intercepts, y-intercept: _
c) |x| = 0 d) |x| = 5 1
21. Yes; the positive case is ax + b = 0, which always 12
has a solution. 6. Example: Locate zeros and invariant points.
22. a) |x - 3| = 4 b) |x 2 - 4| = 5 Use these points to help sketch the graph of the
23. Example: The first equation has no solution reciprocal function.
because an absolute value expression cannot a) y
equal a negative number. The second equation 4
has two solutions because the absolute value
y = f(x)
expression equates to a positive number, so two 2
cases are possible.
24. Example: When solving each case, the solutions -2 0 2 4 x
generated are for the domain {x | x ∈ R}. -2
However, since each case is only valid for
a specific domain, solutions outside of that -4 1
y = ___
domain are extraneous. f(x)

b) y
7.4 Reciprocal Functions, pages 403 to 409
y = f(x)
4
1. a) y = _
1 b) y = __
1
2-x 3x - 5
2 1
__
1 ___
1 y = ___
c) y = 2
d) y = 2 f(x)
x -9 x - 7x + 10
2. a) i) x = -5 ii) y = _
1 iii) x ≠ -5 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
x+5
-2
iv) The zeros of the original function are
the non-permissible values of the reciprocal -4
function.
v) x = -5
b) i) x = - _ ii) y = __ iii) x ≠ - _
1 1 1 c) y
2 2x + 1 2
8
iv) The zeros of the original function are
the non-permissible values of the reciprocal 6
function.
v) x = - _
1 4
y = f(x)
2
c) i) x = -4, x = 4 ii) y = __
1 1
2
x 2 - 16 y = ___
f(x)
iii) x ≠ -4, x ≠ 4
iv) The zeros of the original function are -4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
the non-permissible values of the reciprocal -2
function.
-4

564 MHR • Answers

7. a) y x=4 b) y
y=x-4 x=4
4 4

2 2
(0, -0.25) (5, 1) (-2.16, 1) (0, -0.125) (4.16, 1)
(4, 0)
-2 0 2 4 6 8 x -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 x
(3, -1) (-2, 0) (4, 0)
-2 -2
(-1.83, -1) (3.83, -1)

-4 1 -4
(0, -4) y = _____ y = x2 - 2x - 8
x-4
(0, -8)
-6
1
b) x = -2 y y = ___________
y = 2x + 4 -8 x2 - 2x - 8
4 x = -2
(0, 4)
2 1
(-1.5, 1) y = ______ c) y
2x + 4
(-2, 0) 4
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
(-2.5, -1) (0, 0.25) (0, -0.5) y = x2 - x - 2
-2 2
(-1.30, 1) (2.30, 1)

-4
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
(-1, 0) (2, 0)
-2 (1.62, -1)
(-0.62, -1)
c) y x=3 (0, -2)
1
-4 y = __________
4 x2 - x - 2
x = -1 x=2

( )
1 2
0, - __
6
(3, 0)
(3.5, 1)
d) y

6
-2 0 2 4 6 x
(2.5, -1) y = x2 + 2
-2 4

y = 2x - 6 2 1
-4 (0, 2) y = ______
1 x2 + 2
y = ______
-6 2x - 6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
(0, -6)
(0, 0.5)

9. a) D b) C c) A d) B
d) y x=1
10. a) i) y
4 4
y=x-3
y=x-1 2
2
(0, -1) (2, 1)

x -2 0 2 4 6 x
-2 0 2 4 6
(1, 0) -2
-2

-4 1 -4
y = _____
x-1
ii) Example: Use the vertical asymptote to
8. a) y
find the zero of the function. Then, use
y = x2 - 16
the invariant point and the x-intercept to
16 graph the function.
(0, -0.06)
iii) y = x - 3
8
(-4.12, 1) (4.12, 1)

-8 -4 0 4 8 12 x
(-4, 0) (4, 0)
-8
(-3.87, -1) (3.87, -1)
1
-16 y = ______
(0, -16) x2 - 16
x = -4 x=4
Answers • MHR 565
 b) i) y 15. a) Example: Complete the square to change it
to vertex form.
4
b) Example: The vertex helps with the location
2 of the maximum for the U-shaped section of
the graph of g(x).
c) g(x)
-4 -2 0 2 4 x
-2 4
1
y = (x + 3)(x - 1) g(x) = ___________
-4 2 x2 - 6x - 7

-2 0 2 4 6 8 x
ii) Example: Use the vertical asymptotes to
-2
find the zeros of the function. Then, use
the given point to determine the vertex -4
and then graph the function.
iii) y = (x + 3)(x - 1) 16. a) k = 720 000 b)
11. a) f b) y = T c) 1800 days
c) 0.4 Hz d) 1440 workers
Frequency (Hz)

1
f = __ d) 0.625 s
T

17. y

4
0 Period (s) T
2 1
12. a) y = ___
f(x)

-2 0 2 4 6 x
-2

-4
y = f(x)
b) {d | d > 10, d ∈ R}
c) 17.5 min
d) 23.125 m; it means 18. a) False; only if the function has a zero is this
that the diver has a true.
maximum of 40 min b) False; only if the function has a zero is this
at a depth of true.
23.125 m. c) False; sometimes there is an undefined
value.
e) Yes; at large depths it is almost impossible 19. a) Both students are correct. The non-permissible
to not stop for decompression. values are the roots of the corresponding
13. a) p = _1 b) p equation.
P b) Yes
c) 20.8 Hz 1
__ p= 20. a) v = 60 mm b) f = 205.68 mm
Pitch (Hz)

P
21. Step 1 f(x)
4
1
f(x) = ______
2 4x - 2
0 Period (s) P
14. a) I = 0.004 _
1 b) -2 0 2 4 x
d2
c) 0.000 16 W/m2 -2

-4

566 MHR • Answers

 Step 2 4. 43.8 km
a) x f(x) x f(x) 5. a) $2.12 b) $4.38
6. a) b)
0 -0.5 1 0.5
y
x f(x) g(x)
0.4 -2.5 0.6 2.5
-2 -8 8 12
0.45 -5 0.55 5
-1 -3 3 8
0.47 -8.33 0.53 8.33
0 2 2
0.49 -25 0.51 25 g(x)
4
1 7 7
0.495 -50 0.505 50
2 12 12
0.499 -250 0.501 250 -2 0 2x
b) The function approaches infinity or negative -4
f(x)
infinity. The function will always approach
-8
infinity or negative infinity.
Step 3
a) c) f (x): domain {x | x ∈ R}, range {y | y ∈ R};
x f(x) x f(x)
_ g (x): domain {x | x ∈ R},
-_
1 1
-10 10 range {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
42 38
_ d) Example: They are the same graph except
-_
1 1
-100 100 the absolute value function never goes
402 398
__ below zero; instead it reflects back over
- __
1 1
-1000 1000 the x-axis.
4002 3998
__ 7. a)
- __1 1 x f(x) g(x)
-10 000 10 000
40 002 39 998
-2 4 4
-100 000 - __ 1
100 000
__
1
400 002 399 998 -1 7 7
0 8 8
b) The function approaches zero.
22. 1 7 7

y = f(x) y=
_
1 2 4 4
f (x)
b) y
The absolute value of the The absolute value of the
function gets very large. function gets very small. 8

Function values are positive. Reciprocal values are positive. g(x)

4
Function values are negative. Reciprocal values are negative.
The zeros of the function The zeros of the function -4 -2 0 2 4 x
are the x-intercepts of the are the vertical asymptotes -4
graph. of the graph. f(x)

The value of the function The value of the reciprocal -8

is 1. function is 1.
The absolute value of the c) f (x): domain {x | x ∈ R},
The absolute value of the
reciprocal approaches infinity range {y | y ≤ 8, y ∈ R}; g(x):
function approaches zero.
or negative infinity.
domain {x | x ∈ R}, range {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R}
The value of the function The value of the reciprocal d) Example: They are the same graph except
is -1. function is -1. the absolute value function never goes
below zero; instead it reflects back over the
Chapter 7 Review, pages 410 to 412 x-axis.
1. a) 5 b) 2.75 c) 6.7 8. a) y = 2x - 4 if x ≥ 2

2. -4, -2.7, |1 _ |, |-1.6|, |-3.5|, - _

1 __ 9 y = 4 - 2x if x < 2
2
√9 ,
2 | | b) y = x 2 - 1 if x ≤ -1 or x ≥ 1
3. a) 9 b) 2 c) 18.75 d) 20 y = 1 - x 2 if -1 < x < 1

Answers • MHR 567

 9. a) The functions have different graphs because 16. a) y
the initial graph goes below the x-axis. The
4
absolute value brackets reflect anything y = 4x - 9
below the x-axis above the x-axis.
b) The functions have the same graphs because ( )
1 2
0, - __
9
(2.5, 1)

the initial function is always positive. x

-2 0 2 4 6
10. a = 15, b = 10 (2.25, 0)
-2
11. a) x = -3.5, x = 5.5 (2, -1)
b) no solution
-4
c) x = -3, x = 3, x ≈-1.7, x ≈ 1.7 1
y = ______
d) m = -1, m = 5 -6 4x - 9
b) x = _ , x = _
12. a) q = -11, q = -7
1 2
4 3 -8
x = 2.25
c) x = 0, x = 5, x = 7 ___
(0, -9)
d) x = _ , x = __
3 -1 + √21
2 4 b) x = -2.5 y
13. a) first low tide 2.41 m; first high tide 5.74 m (0, 5)
1 4
b) The total change is 8.5 m. y = ______
2x + 5
14. The two masses are 24.78 kg and 47.084 kg. 2
15. a) y (-2, 1) (0, 0.2)
x=3
(-2.5, 0)
4 -6 -4 -2 0 2 x
y = f(x)
(-3, -1)
( )
1 2 -2
0, - __ y = 2x + 5
(3.5, 1)
6
(3, 0) -4
-2 0 2 4 6 x
(2.5, -1)
-2
17. a) i) y = __
1
-4 x 2 - 25
1 ii) The non-permissable values are x = -5
y = ___ and x = 5. The equations of the vertical
-6 f(x)
(0, -6)
asymptotes are x = -5 and x = 5.
iii) no x-intercepts; y-intercept: - _
1
b) x = -5 y x=1 25
iv) y
8 y = x2 - 25
10
6
(0, 5)
-8 -4 0 4 8 12 x
4
-10
2 1
(-4.83, 1) (0.83, 1) y = _______
(0, 0.2) -20 x2 - 25
(-5, 0) (1, 0)
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 x
(-5.16, -1)
-2
(1.16, -1)
b) i) y = ___
1
x 2 - 6x + 5
1 -4 ii) The non-permissable values are x = 5
y = f(x) y = ___
f(x) and x = 1. The equations of the vertical
asymptotes are x = 5 and x = 1.
iii) no x-intercept; y-intercept _
1
5

568 MHR • Answers

 iv) y 10. a) y = __
1 b) x = _
6
6 - 5x 5
y = x - 6x + 5
2
4 c) Example: Use the asymptote already found
and the invariant points to sketch the graph.
1 2
y = ___________ y
x2 - 6x + 5
6
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 x
4 1
y = ______
-2
6 - 5x
-4 2

-2 0 2 4 x
18. a) 240 N b) 1.33 m
-2
c) If the distance is doubled the force is
halved. If the distance is tripled only a third y = 6 - 5x
-4
of the force is needed.

Chapter 7 Practice Test, pages 413 to 414 11. a) y = |2.5x| b) 43.6° c) 39.3°
12. a)
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. B
6. a) f(x)
b) i) 748.13 N ii) 435.37 N
4 c) more than 25 600 km will result in a weight
less than 30 N.
2
Cumulative Review, Chapters 5—7, pages 416 to 417
0 2 4 6 x _______
f(x) = |2x - 7| 1. √18x3y____
6

-2 2. 4abc 2√
3ac
3
__ __ ___ ___ __ __
3. √8 , 2 √ 3 , √18 , √36 , 2 √9 , 3 √6
___
4. a) 9 √2a__ ,a≥0
b) x-intercept: _7 ; y-intercept: 7
2 b) 11x √5__, x ≥ 0 __
3
c) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} 5. a) -16 √3 ___
b) 3 √__2
__
_7
d) y = 2x - 7 if x ≥ c) 12a__
- 12 √a + 2 √3a - 2 √3 , a ≥ __
0
2 6. a) √3 b) 4 - 2 √3
y = 7 - 2x if x < _
7 __
c) -3 - 3 √2
2
7. x = 1, x = _
2 7. x = 3
3 8. a) 430 ft
8. w = 4, w = _
2 b) Example: The velocity would decrease
3
with an increasing radius because of the
9. Example: In Case 1, the mistake is that after
expression h - 2r.
taking the absolute value brackets off, the inside
term was incorrectly copied down. It should 9. a) _ a , a ≠ 0, b ≠ 0 b) _ , x ≠ 4
-1
4b3 x-4
have been x - 4. Then, there are no solutions ____(x - 3)2(x + 5)
from Case 1. In Case 2, the mistake is that after c) , x ≠ 1, -1, -2, 3
(x + 2)(x + 1)(x - 1)
taking the absolute value brackets off, the inside
d) _1 , x ≠ 0, 2
term was incorrectly multiplied by negative 6
one. It should have been ___
-x + 4. Then, the e) 1, x ≠ -3, -2, 2, 3
___
solutions are x = __
-5 + √41
and x = __ .
-5 - √41
2 2

Answers • MHR 569

10. a) ___
a 2
+ 11a - 72
, a ≠ -2, 7 20. y
(a + 2)(a - 7) y = f(x)
b) ____ , x ≠ -4, -2, 2
3x 3 + x2 - 11x + 12 4
(x + 4)(x - 2)(x + 2)
2 1
____ 2x 2 - x - 15 y = ___
c) , x ≠ -5, -1, 5 f(x)
(x - 5)(x + 5)(x + 1)
11. Example: No; they are not equivalent because the -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 x
expression should have the restriction of x ≠ -5. -2
12. x = 12
13.
_1 -4
4
14. |4 - 6|, |-5|, |8.4|, |2(-4) - 5|
15. a) y = 3x - 6 if x ≥ 2 21. y
1
y = 6 - 3x if x < 2 y = _______2 4
(x + 2)
b) y = _ (x - 2)2 - 3 if x ≤ -1 or x ≥ 5
1
3 2 (-1, 1)
y = -_ 1 (x - 2)2 + 3 if -1 < x < 5 (-3, 1)
(0.25, 0)
3
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 x
16. a) i) y
x = -2
4
22. a) Example: The shape, range, and y-intercept
2
will be different for y = |f(x)|.
b) Example: The graph of the reciprocal
function has a horizontal asymptote at
0 2 4 x
y = |3x - 7| y = 0 and a vertical asymptote at x = _
1.
-2 3
Unit 3 Test, pages 418 to 419
ii) x-intercept: _ ; y-intercept: 7
7
3 1. C
iii) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} 2. D
b) i) y 3. B
4. C
6
5. D
4
6. B
7. D
2 8. B
9. 3 ___
-2 0 2 4 6 x 10. _
√10

y = |x2 - 3x - 4| 6
11. 28
ii) x-intercepts: -1, 4; y-intercept: 4 12. -2
iii) domain: {x | x ∈ R}; range: {y | y ≥ 0, y ∈ R} 13. -2, 2
17. a) x = 5, x = -4 b) x = 3, x = -3 __ __ __
14. 5, 3 √7 , 6 √2 , 4 √5
18. a) Example: Absolute value must be used
15. a) Example: Square both sides.
because area is always positive.
b) x ≥ 2.5 c) There are no solutions.
b) Area = 7
19. y f (x) = x - 4 16.
__
4(2x + 5)
, x ≠ -2.5, -2, 1, 0.5, 4
(x - 4)
2 17. Example:
a) _
2x = __
x + 10
b) x ≠ -3, 0 c) x = 4
x x+3
-2 0 2 4 x 18. a) y
-2
y = f(x) 4
-4
2
y = |2x - 5|

0 2 4 6 x

570 MHR • Answers