Question

What transformations were applied to the parent function k(x)=x| to obtain f(x)= -1/2|x+3/-1.​

Answer 1

(Assuming it is k(x) = |x| and f(x) = -1/2|x+3| -1

Scale vertically by a factor of -1/2

Shift left 3

Shift down 1

Explanation:

The -1/2 is multiplied by everything, so it scales the graph vertically by -1/2. The -1 is again, everything(as opposed to just modifying the x), so it shifts the graph down by 1.

The + 3 is a little more confusing. Basically, x would have to be x-3(which is shifting the graph left) in order to retain the same x-value(to make the equation true) for the same value. This is the same for y, but we usually isolate y so it doesn't come up as often. If we add 1 to both sides, we get
`f(x) + 1= -1/2|x+3|`, and for the same reasoning the graph would shift down 1 even though it is f(x) + 1, because for the same x-value the y-value would need to be 1 less to make the equation to hold true.

Feel free to message me/comment on this answer if you would like more clarification/why it is "backwards" or anything else about my answer.

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

The transformations applied to the parent function k(x)=x| to obtain f(x)= -1/2|x+3/-1 are reflection in the y-axis, vertical stretching by a factor of 1/2, and a horizontal shift of 3 units to the right.

Explanation:

To obtain f(x) from k(x), we first reflect k(x) in the y-axis, which changes the sign of the function and flips it over the x-axis. This gives us -k(x). Next, we vertically stretch the graph of -k(x) by a factor of 1/2. This makes the graph of -k(x) taller and narrower. Finally, we shift the graph of -k(x) 3 units to the right. This moves the entire graph 3 units to the right on the x-axis. The resulting function is f(x)=-1/2|x+3/-1.To understand why these transformations were applied, it's helpful to consider the effect of each transformation on the graph of k(x)=x|. Reflecting in the y-axis flips the graph over the x-axis and changes the sign of the function, so it becomes -k(x). Vertical stretching by a factor of 1/2 makes the graph of -k(x) taller and narrower. Finally, shifting the graph of -k(x) 3 units to the right moves the entire graph 3 units to the right on the x-axis. This results in the graph of f(x)=-1/2|x+3/-1.