Learning Activity Sheets

General Mathematics
Quarter 1 | LAS 1

Functions
Learning Competencies
Upon completion of this Learning Activity Sheets, you should be able to:

1. Represent real-life situations using functions, including piece-wise functions;

(M11GM-Ia-1)
2. Evaluate a function; (M11GM-Ia-2)
3. Perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and composition of
functions; (M11GM-Ia-3)
4. Solve problems involving functions. (M11GM-Ia-4)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Review of Functions and Relations
Many everyday phenomena involve two quantities that are related to each other
by some rule of correspondence. The mathematical term for such a rule of
correspondence is a relation. In mathematics, equations and formulas often
represent relations. For instance, the simple interest I earned on ₱1000 for 1 year
is related to the annual interest rate 𝑟𝑟 by the formula 𝐼𝐼 = 1000𝑟𝑟.
The formula 𝐼𝐼 = 1000𝑟𝑟 represents a special kind of relation that matches
each item from one set with exactly one item from a different set. Such a relation
is called a function.

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Four common ways to represent functions are as follows.

To determine whether a relation is a function, you must decide whether

each input value is matched with exactly one output value. When any input value
is matched with two or more output values, the relation is not a function.

A relation between two sets of numbers can be illustrated by a graph in the

Cartesian plane, and that a function passes the vertical line test.

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The Domain of a Function
The domain of a function can be described explicitly or it can be implied by the
expression used to define the function. The implied domain is the set of all real
numbers for which the expression is defined. For instance, the function
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𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 2 −4 Domain excludes 𝑥𝑥-values that result to division by zero.
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has an implied domain consisting of all real x other than 𝑥𝑥 = ±2. These two are
excluded from the domain because division by zero is undefined. Another
common type of implied domain is that used to avoid even roots of negative
numbers. For example, the function

𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = √𝑥𝑥 Domain excludes 𝑥𝑥-values that result in even roots of negative
numbers.

Is defined only for 𝑥𝑥 ≥ 0. So, its implied domain is the interval [0, ∞). In general,
we ask the question, “what can 𝑥𝑥 be?” The implicit domain of a function excludes
values that can cause a function to be undefined or have outputs that are not real
numbers.

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Activity 1
Perform as indicated.
1.

2.

3.

Representing Real-Life Situations Using Functions

Functions can often be used to model real-life situations. Identifying an

appropriate functional model will lead to a better understanding of various
phenomena.

EXAMPLE 4 Give a function 𝐶𝐶 that can represent the cost of buying 𝑥𝑥 meals,
if one meal costs P40.

Solution Since each meal costs P40, then the cost function is 𝐶𝐶 (𝑥𝑥) = 40𝑥𝑥.

PIECEWISE FUNCTIONS

Some situations can only be described by more than one formula, depending on
the value of the independent variable.

DEFINITION A function defined by two or more equations over a specified

domain is called a piecewise-defined function.

EXAMPLE 5 A user is charged P300 monthly for a particular mobile plan,

which includes 100 free text messages. Messages in excess of 100 are charged P1
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each. Represent the monthly cost for a text messaging using the function 𝑡𝑡(𝑚𝑚),
where 𝑚𝑚 is the number of messages sent in a month.

Solution Let 𝑡𝑡(𝑚𝑚) represent the amount paid by the consumer each month. It
can be expressed by the piecewise function

300 if 0 < 𝑚𝑚 ≤ 100

𝑡𝑡(𝑚𝑚) = �
300 + (𝑚𝑚 − 100) if 𝑚𝑚 > 100

EXAMPLE 6 A jeepney ride costs ₱8.00 for the first 4 kilometers, and each
additional integer kilometer adds ₱1.50 to the fare. Use a piecewise function to
represent the jeepney fare in terms of the distance 𝑑𝑑 in kilometers.

Solution The input value is distance and the output is the cost of the jeepney
fare. If 𝐹𝐹(𝑑𝑑) re presents th e fa re as a fu nction of di stance, th e fu nction ca n be
represented as follows:

8 if 0 < 𝑑𝑑 ≤ 4
𝐹𝐹 (𝑑𝑑 ) = �
8 + 1.5⌊𝑑𝑑 − 4⌋ if 𝑑𝑑 > 4

The symbol ⌊ ⌋ denotes the greatest integer or floor function applied to 𝑑𝑑. The
floor function gives the largest integer less than or equal to 𝑑𝑑, e.g. ⌊4.1⌋ = ⌊4.9⌋ =
4.

EXAMPLE 7 A certain chocolate bar costs P50.00 per piece. However, if you
buy more than 5 pieces they will mark down the price to P48 per piece. (a) Use a
piecewise function to represent the cost in terms of the number of chocolate bars
bought; (b) How much does it cost if you buy 7 chocolate bars? 3 chocolate bars?

Activity 2
Perform as indicated. Show all the necessary solutions.

1. A person is earning ₱600 per day to do a certain job. Express the total salary 𝑆𝑆
as a function of the number 𝑛𝑛 of days that the person works.
2. The cost of hiring a catering service to serve food for a party is ₱150 per head
for 20 persons or less, ₱130 per head for 21 to 50 persons, ₱110 per head for
51 to 100 persons. For more than 100 persons, the cost is at ₱100 per head.
Represent the total cost as a piecewise function of the number of attendance of
the party. How much does the catering service cost if there are 100 persons
attending the party?
3. A computer shop charges 20 pesos per hour (or a fraction of an hour) for the
first two hours and an additional 10 pesos per hour for each succeeding hour.
Represent your computer rental fee using the function 𝑅𝑅(𝑡𝑡) where 𝑡𝑡 is the
number of hours you spent on the computer. How much is charged if you use
the computer for one hour and 30 minutes? Three hours?
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Evaluating Functions
Evaluating a function means replacing the variable in the function, in this case 𝑥𝑥,
with a value from the function’s domain and computing for the result. To denote
that we are evaluating 𝑓𝑓 at 𝑎𝑎 for some 𝑎𝑎 in the domain of 𝑓𝑓, we write 𝑓𝑓(𝑎𝑎).

EXAMPLE 8

Activity 3
Perform as stated.
1. Evaluate the following functions at 𝑥𝑥 = −4.
a. 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 3 − 64
b. 𝑟𝑟(𝑥𝑥) = √5 − 𝑥𝑥
𝑥𝑥+3
c. 𝑞𝑞 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 2 +7𝑥𝑥+12

2. Given 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 2 − 4𝑥𝑥 + 4. Find

a. 𝑓𝑓(3)
b. 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 + 3)

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Operations on Functions

EXAMPLE 9

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EXAMPLE 10

EXAMPLE 11

EXAMPLE 12

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EXAMPLE 13

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Activity 4

Perform as indicated.
1. Given 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 2 and 𝑔𝑔 (𝑥𝑥) = 1 − 𝑥𝑥, find
a. (𝑓𝑓 + 𝑔𝑔)(𝑥𝑥)
b. (𝑓𝑓 − 𝑔𝑔)(𝑥𝑥)
c. (𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓)(𝑥𝑥)
𝑓𝑓
d. (𝑔𝑔)(𝑥𝑥)

Then evaluate the sum, difference, product, and quotient when 𝑥𝑥 =

3.

2. Given 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 2𝑥𝑥 + 5 and 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥) = 4𝑥𝑥 2 + 1, find the following.

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a. ( 𝑓𝑓 ∘ 𝑔𝑔)(𝑥𝑥) b. (𝑔𝑔 ∘ 𝑓𝑓)(𝑥𝑥) c. (𝑓𝑓 ∘ 𝑔𝑔)(− 2)

Assessment

Please see attached sheet.

References

General Mathematics Learner’s Materials First Edition 2016

Cynthia Young, Algebra & Trigonometry 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2013
Larson, Ron, et. al, College Algebra: A Graphical Approach, Houghton Mifflin
Company, 2005
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