The phrase "y is a function of x" means that the value of y depends upon the value of x, so: y can be written in terms of x (e.g. y = 3x ). If f(x) = 3x, and y is a function of x (i.e. y = f(x) ), then the value of y when x is 4 is f(4), which is found by replacing x"s by 4"s .