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GRAPHING PIECEWISE FUNCTIONS

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IMPORTANT NOTE

A piecewise function is more than one function, jammed together into one.

However, the graph can be made by graphing each of the pieces together, just with the added restrictions.

Example, our original graph:

Actually looks more like:

The only difference between the two pictures is our piecewise function is more limited by the choices for x.

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SO LET’S TRY ANOTHER ONE

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CHECK THE GRAPH TO BE SURE

So, to be sure, let’s check the graph!

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Yes we can see that when x = 3, y = 6.

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So our answer was correct!

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Last example

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GRAPHING A PIECEWISE FUNCTION

So, solving a piecewise is all well and good (and pretty simple), but how do we graph them?

To be honest, the easiest way to graph them is to graph each part as far as you can, and then add the restrictions.

Again, it’s easier to show than it is to do.

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Graphing continued

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So, let’s graph

First up is -2x + 6

Next up is x – 3

And finally we graph 6

Now we erase what we don’t need, and we have: