Question

I'm in Algebra 2 and I totally forgot how to graph and solve piecewise functions. Can someone help me please?

Answer 1

do you have an example to work with?

Answer 2

Yes. f(x) = 2x + 6, x<= -2
-2x-2, -2<x<=0
3x-2, x>0

Answer 3

so what that really means is this

f(x) = 2x+6 if x <= -2

OR

f(x) = -2x-2 if -2 < x <= 0

OR

f(x) = 3x-2 if x > 0

Answer 4

essentially you have 3 different functions all plotted together

but

you only graph a small piece of each depending on how you restrict x. For instance, with the first piece "f(x) = 2x+6 if x <= -2" we only graph y = 2x+6 when x is either -2 or smaller than -2. Otherwise, we don't graph it at all and we graph some other piece

Answer 5

I remember in class that each line gets graphed only in a certain portion, like we're supposed to draw dotted lines at -2 and zero to divide the graph into three pieces so we know where to end our lines. Is that what you're talking about?

Answer 6

let's actually plot this

Answer 7

start with a blank xy axis

Answer 8

let's graph the first piece

f(x) = 2x+6 if x <= -2

so we will graph y = 2x+6 like normal

Answer 9

but we have to take that "x <= -2" into consideration, so we erase everything to the right of x = -2