Chapter 3.

3
Graphing Linear
Functions
Objectives
I will graph linear functions.
I will graph linear functions by finding
intercepts.
I will graph vertical and horizontal
lines.
Example 1:
Graph g(x) = 2x +1.
Compare this
graph with the
graph of f(x) = 2x

Step 1: Find three
ordered pairs.

Step 2: Graph both
lines.

x F(x) = 2x G(x) = 2x +1
0 0 1
-1 -2 -1
1 2 3
Example 1: Continued
Compare f(x) = 2x and g(x) = 2x +1

Notice that y-values for the graph of
g(x) = 2x+1 are obtained by adding 1
to each y-value of each corresponding
point on the graph of f(x) = 2x. The
graph of g(x) = 2x+1 is the same as
the graph of f(x) = 2x shifted upward 1
unit.
Give it a try!
Graph f(x) = 3x and g(x) = 3x 4 on
the same set of axes.
Hint:
In general a linear function is a
function that can be written in the form
f(x) = mx + b. For example,
g(x) = 2x 1 is in this form, with m = 2
and b = 1
Example 2:
Graph the linear functions f(x) = -3x
and g(x) = -3x 6 on the same set of
axes.

Step 1: To graph f(x) and g(x), find
ordered pair solutions
Example 2: Continued
X f(x) = -3x g(x) = -3x - 6
0 0 -6
1 -3 -9
-1 3 -3
-2 6 0
Step 2:
Graph the
ordered pairs.
Give it a try!
Graph:

1 1
( ) 3
2 2
f x x and g x x
Example 3: y - intercepts
Find the y-intercept of the graph of
each equation.

a. b.

1 3
( )
2 7
f x x
2.5 3.2 y x
Finding x and y -
intercepts
To find an x-intercept, let y = 0 or f(x)
= 0 and solve for x.
To find y-intercept, let x = 0 and solve
for y.
Give it a try!
Find the y-intercept of:
A. f(x) = -2.1 x + 3.6


B.
1
5
3
y x
Example 4: Plotting
intercepts
Graph x 3y = 6 by plotting
intercepts.

Step 1: Let y = 0 to find the x-
intercept and x= 0 to find the y
intercept.

Example 4 Continued
If y = 0 then x = 0
x 3(0) = 6 (0) 3y = 6
x - 0= 6 - 3y = 6
x = 6 y = -2

The x intercept is (6, 0) and the y-intercept
is (0, -2). To graph the line we need to find
additional ordered pairs.
Example 4 Continued
x y
6 0
0 -2
3 -1
Next you need to
graph the points.
Notice the equation
x 3y = 6 describes
a linear function
linear because its
graph line and function
because the graph
passes the vertical line
test.
Give it a try!
Graph -5x + y = 5 by plotting the
intercepts.
Helpful Hint
Any linear equation that describes a
function can be written using function
notation. To do so,
1. Solve the equation for y and then
2. Replace y with f(x), as we did
above.
COPY INTO
YOUR NOTES
Function Notation
Lets try writing equations into function notation!
***Solve for y then replace the y to f(x)***
Example 1: x = 5y
Divide both sides by 5 to get x/5 = y BUT I WANT A NUMERICAL
COEFFICIENT FOR THE X so I change this to 1/5x = y
f(x) = 1/5x
Example 2: x y = 5
f(x) =
Example 3: x 2y = -8
f(x) =
COPY INTO
YOUR NOTES
Example 5:
Graph x = -2y by plotting intercepts.

Let y = 0 to find the x-intercept and
x=0 to find the y-intercept.
Give it a try!
Graph y = 2x by plotting intercepts.
Linear Equations
The equations x = c and y = c, where
c is a real number constant, are both
linear equations in two variables.
x = c can be written as x + 0y = c and
y = c can be written as 0x + y = c.
Example 6: Graph x = 2
The equation x = 2 can be written as
x + 0y = 2, for any y value chosen, x is 2.
Any ordered pair whose x-coordinate is 2 is
a solution to x + 0y = 2 because 2 added to
0 times any value of y is 2 + 0, or 2.

The graph is a vertical line with x-intercept
(2,0). Notice that the graph is not the graph
of a function, and it has no y-intercept
because x is never 0.
Example 7: Graph y = -3
The equation y = -3 can be written as
0x + y = -3. For any x-value chosen, y
is -3 . If we choose 4, 0, and -2 as x-
values, the ordered pair solutions are
(4, -3), (0,-3), and (-2, -3). Next,
graph the ordered pairs.
The graph is a horizontal line with y-
intercept of (0,-3) and no x-intercept.
This graph is the graph of a function.
Give it a try!
Graph: x = -1
Graph y = 2