College Algebra & Trigonometry, 2018a

218 CHAPTER 4. FUNCTIONS
Being familiar with the typical shape of the various function families can help in
analyzing experimental data.
The standard function families are:
Constant function: f(x) =c Linear function: y = f(x) =x
8
6
4
2
−8 −6 −4 −2
−2
2 4 6 8
−4
−6
−8
8
6
4
2
−8 −6 −4 −2
−2
2 4 6 8
−4
−6
−8
Absolute value function: f(x) =|x|
8
6
4
2
−8 −6 −4 −2
−2
2 4 6 8
−4
−6
−8
Rational function: f(x) = 1 x
4
3
2
1
−4 −3 −2 −1
−1
1 2 3 4
−2
−3
−4