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34 votes
34 votes
Which of the following graphs could represent a quartic function?

A.
B.
D.
A. Graph A
Ο Ο Ο
B. Graph B
C. Graph C
D. Graph D

Which of the following graphs could represent a quartic function? A. B. D. A. Graph-example-1
User Ken Birman
by
2.5k points

2 Answers

27 votes
27 votes

Answer:graph d

Explanation:

just took the test

User Nayden
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2.9k points
12 votes
12 votes

Answer:

D

Explanation:

a quartic function is a polynomial of the 4th degree. that means that in the function expression the highest exponent of a term of x is 4.

y = ax⁴ + bx³ + cx² + dx + e

with a not 0.

the degree of a polynomial expression defines also how many zeroes (x values that create y = 0, that means points where the graph intersects the x-axis) there are.

a function has as many zeroes as the degree of the polynomial.

so, we are looking for potentially 4 zeroes.

the only graph that fulfills that is D.

the left "touch" of the graph on the x-axis counts for 2 (but equal) zeroes.

you can always test by virtually shifting the graph up or down and see, what are the max. x-axis intersections you can create.

if shifting D down a little bit you see, that this left "touch" turns into 2 intersections.

the same would apply for a "bend" or turn in the graph that does not even touch the x-axis.

if the original graph has not enough real x-axis intersections, it means that the remaining zeroes are then "imaginary" complex numbers (based on the sqrt(-1) = i).

a polynomial of the nth degree, must have n zeroes.

as a consequence it must have n-1 turns (even if the corresponding curve segments don't intersect with the x-axis in the real number space).

User Jonio
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3.2k points