Final answer:
To find the value of f(3), substitute 3 into the equation y = 9 + 3x, yielding y = 18. If graphed, locate x = 3 on the x-axis, find the intersection of the line at this point, and read the y-value from the y-axis.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the value of f(3), you start by recognizing that the input is 3 and you are seeking the corresponding output. In the context of a linear function, such as y = 9 + 3x, this process involves substituting the input value of x into the equation to determine the value of y. In your given equation, to find f(3) or the value of y when x is 3, you would perform the following calculation: y = 9 + 3(3). By multiplying 3 by 3, you get 9, and adding it to the initial 9 from the equation results in y being 18. Therefore, f(3) equals 18.
If you have a graph of this function, you determine f(3) by first locating the point where x equals 3 on the x-axis. Then, you find the corresponding point on the graph where the line intersects with this x-value. Finally, you determine the value of y by reading it off the y-axis at the point of intersection which, in this case, should also coincide with the calculated value of 18.