Chapter 8 Outline – 2009

1. Functions and Relations

• “A function is a special relation in which each member of the domain is paired with exactly one member
in the range.”
• Use the vertical line test to determine if a relation is a function. If you can draw a vertical line that
intersects more than one point in the relation then it fails the test and is not a function.
2. Linear Equations in Two Variables
• “A linear equation in two variables is an equation in which the variables appear in separate terms and
neither variable contains an exponent other than 1.”
• Solutions of a linear equation are ordered pairs that make the equation true. To find solutions pick a
value to substitute for one variable and solve to find the value for the other. Solutions are often written
as ordered pairs. For example:
y =x+4
Pick a value for x, say 7, substitute it into the equation for x and find y.

y =7+4

so y = 11 when x = 7. We write the solution as an ordered pair like

(7, 11)

.
• A linear equation is one of many ways to represent a function.
3. Graphing linear equations using intercepts
• To find thee x-intercept, let y = 0 in the equation and solve for x
• To find the y-intercept, let x = 0 and solve for y
• The ordered pairs of any two solutions can be used to graph a linear equation. Using the intercepts is
often the fastest.

6x + 7y = 12
6(0) + 7y = 12 y − intercept
7y = 12
12 5
y= =1
7 7
6x + 7(0) = 12x − intercept
6x = 12
x=2

So now we can graph the x and y intercepts, and graph the equation like

B b
A

4. Slope
• Slope describes the steepness of a line. It is the ratio of the rise, or the vertical change, to the run, the
horizontal change.
rise
slope =
run
 • Slope formula:
y2 − y1
m=
x2 − x1
. So to find the slope between (3, 5) and (−5, 10) we apply the formula
y2 − y1
m=
x2 − x1
10 − 5
=
−5 − 3
5
=
−8
5
=−
8
So the slope between the points (3, 5) and (−5, 10) is − 58
• A vertical line has an “undefined” slope, and a horizontal line has a slope of 0.
5. Rate of Change
• A change in one quantity with respect to another quantity is called the rate of change
• If you were 55 inches tall in May and in August you measured 63 inches, then a rate of change could be
used to describe the speed of your growth as
63 − 55 in
8 − 5 months
so
8 in 2
→ 2 inches per month
3 months 3
.
• Direct variation. A special type of linear equation that describes rate of change is called a “direct
variation.” Written as y = kx where k represents the slope or rate of change. Assuming steady growth,
the rate of change of your height above could be modeled in the equation
8
y= x
3
where x is the amount of time and y is the amount of growth.
6. Slope-Intercept Form, y = mx + b
• In slope intercept form, y = mx+b, m represents the slope of the line, and b represents the lines y-intercept.
• You can use the slope-intercept form of an equation to easily graph a line. For example: y = 3x + 2, the
slope is 3 and the y- intercept is 2.
 • Sometimes equations are not written in slope-intercept form, so you have to convert them. For example,
to graph 2x + 3y = 12 in slope intercept form, we solve for y

2x + 3y = 12
−2x − 2x
3y = −2x + 12
2
y =− x+4
3
7. Writing Linear equations
• If you know the slope and y-intercept of a line then writing an equation for the line is easy. Say the slope
is -2 and the y-intercept is 4, then the equation is y = −2x + 4.
• If you know two points, find the slope between them, and use it to find the y-intercept. To write an
equation for the line passing through (2, 4) and (3, 7). First find the slope
7−4 3
m= = =3
3−2 1
. From the point (2, 4), the slope would pass through the points (2, 1), (1, -2), and finally intercept the
y-axis at (0,-5). So the equation is
y = 3x − 5
8. (Skipped 8-8, 8-9) Graphing Inequalities
• To graph an inequality, first, graph the equality. So for y > 3x+2 (an inequality), first we graph y = 3x+2
(the equation). This line is called the boundary and it should be a dashed line when the inequality is >
or < but solid when the inequality includes “or equal to” (≤ and ≥.
• Inequalities have entire solution regions (where coordinates of the points represent solutions to the in-
equality) to determine on which side of the boundary the solutions lie, we simply test a point on either
side of the line. So to graph y > 2x − 4 first graph y = 2x − 4 and make the line a dashed.

Test a point on the graph to see if

it solves the equation. For exam-
ple pick (2,-3) and test the coor-
dinates in the inequality Solution Region

y > 2x − 4
−3 > 2(2) − 4
−3 > 0 is false
×
So the point is not a solution, and
we identify the solution region as
the region to the other side of the
× boundary line from the point (2,-
3)