Final answer:
Horizontally stretching a cubic function involves multiplying the input variable by a constant factor greater than one.
Step-by-step explanation:
To horizontally stretch a cubic function, you can modify its equation in a specific way. A cubic function typically has the form f(x) = ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d, where a, b, c, and d are constants defining the shape and position of the cubic graph.
To apply a horizontal stretch, you need to multiply the input variable x by a constant factor k (k > 1). The new function will then be f(x) = a(kx)^3 + b(kx)^2 + c(kx) + d. Keep in mind that the larger the value of k, the more stretched the graph will be along the x-axis.
For example, if the original cubic function is f(x) = x^3 and we want to stretch it horizontally by a factor of 2, the new function will be f(x) = (2x)^3 or f(x) = 8x^3.