Final answer:
The general form of a linear function includes a slope (m), a horizontal shift (xₜ), and a vertical shift (yₜ), each of which transforms the basic function f(x)=x to create various linear relationships depicted on a graph.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transformations of the Linear Function f(x)=x
The equation g(x)=m(x-xₜ) +yₜ represents a transformed version of the basic linear function f(x)=x. Each component of g(x) represents a different kind of transformation:
- The factor m represents the slope of the line. It is a scaling transformation that affects the steepness of the graph. A larger absolute value of m results in a steeper line, while a negative value results in the line sloping downwards.
- The value xₜ corresponds to a horizontal shift. If xₜ is positive, the graph of the line is shifted to the right by xₜ units, and if it is negative, to the left.
- The value yₜ is a vertical shift known as the y-intercept. It moves the entire line up if yₜ is positive or down if negative. The graph crosses the y-axis at (0, yₜ).
These transformations allow for the graph of any linear function to be easily plotted and interpreted, representing a variety of relationships between independent and dependent variables.