Question

What is the graph of the absolute value equation?

y = –1/2|x|

Answer 1

Make a list of x values, substitute them into your equation and your answers is the y value. absolute values around the x just mean that even a negative number will be positive. ex: x=1 y=-1/2(1)

Answer 2

And then use your points to graph it.

Answer 3

@completeidiot

Answer 4

yea to understand what multiples do to the absolute value graph, i would suggest what ottomaticc is saying

just plot 2 instances 1/2|x| and 2|x|

Answer 5

but lets dissect this anyways

lets start by looking at the negative sign
what does the negative sign do the graph?

Answer 6

this one I think is different from the other ones we did

Answer 7

makes it negative so the lines would go downward wait let me attacth pics

Answer 8

ok based off the information given from the negative sign, which 2 graphs are correct?

Answer 9

one and two

Answer 10

right, so now we just look at the 1/2
any idea what that will do to the graph?

a good way to think about it is by thinking about the slope of a line

Answer 11

no I dn't

Answer 12

do you remember slope intercept form? y=mx+b

Answer 13

eh not so much

Answer 14

Rise over run, up one over two

Answer 15

m is the slope

Answer 16

in this case, your slope would be 1/2, think of |x| as just x for now

which of the 2 graph looks like the y="1/2 x"

Answer 17

capture 2

Answer 18

??

Answer 19

no , meant my graphs, not yours

Answer 20

oh then I don't know

Answer 21

m= 1/2

since 1/2 is not greater than 1, then its no the first graph

that means the slope would look like my 2nd graph

Answer 22

ok

Answer 23

now you know what the slope vaguely looks like, compare that to the 2 graphs you have

Answer 24

capture 1 I think it looks more similar :)

Answer 25

but wat do I know I hate math my brain can't keep up")

Answer 26

right

now lets check our answer

lets pick a random point on the graph other than (0,0), say (6,-3)

and plug the values into
y = –1/2|x|

-3 = –1/2|6|
-3=-1/2*6
-3=-3

so you are right

Answer 27

oh alright thank you sooo much!!

Answer 28

so now you know when you have a multiple infront of the absolute value that is between 0 and 1, the graph expands

and when the multiple in front of the absolute value is greater than 1, the graph shrinks

Answer 29

yup! thanks!!!!