Find the equation of the vertical asymptote of the function: f(x)=4/(x+5)

Question

anonymous · Answer

first what is an asymptote?

anonymous · Answer

oh another. guess what the domain is?  all real numbers except x = -5 right?

anonymous · Answer

and that is the answer to your question exactly.  the vertical asymptote is 
$$x=-5$$

anonymous · Answer

meaning [-5,infinity) (-infinity,-5]

anonymous · Answer

hold on i will get a picture and you can see it

anonymous · Answer

ok

anonymous · Answer

never write that you teacher will think you are sleeping.  write 
$$(-\infty,-5)\cup (-5,\infty)$$ smaller on the left. and round brackets because you are excluding -5

anonymous · Answer

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y%3D4%2F%28x%2B5%29

anonymous · Answer

you can see that at -5 the function either goes up to positive infinity down to negative infinity. that is the asymptote

anonymous · Answer

a vertical asymptote of f(x)/g(x) is when g(x) = 0

anonymous · Answer

you can see it even clearer here http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y%3D4%2F%28x%2B5%29++++x+from+-20+to+10

anonymous · Answer

that vertical line is not actually part of the graph, but that is what the machine makes when it connects the dots.  function approaches that vertical line. but remember, asking for the vertical asymptote is usually exactly the same as what you did before.  set the denominator equal to zero and solve

anonymous · Answer

ok, i really dont like this part of math. its hard...lol.

anonymous · Answer

would i be answering this the same way  that i would the other questions that i asked?

anonymous · Answer

sorry, so instead of answer in interval notations, i can just say x=-5 and im good