Mr Barton

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Mr Bartons Maths Notes

• Graphs
• 3. Shapes of Graphs

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3. Shapes of Graphs
The Importance of knowing the Shapes of
Graphs If you can look at the equation of a
graph and already have a pretty good idea of what
shape it will be, you are more likely to spot any
silly errors when plotting it NOTE What follows
are general shapes of graphs learn to spot the
key features of each!
1. Positive x Equation Highest power of x is 1,
and the x term is positive Examples
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2. Negative x Equation Highest power of x is 1,
and the x term is negative Examples
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3. Positive x2 Equation Highest power of x is 2,
and the x2 term is positive Examples
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4. Negative x2 Equation Highest power of x is 2,
and the x2 term is negative Examples
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5. Positive x3 Equation Highest power of x is 3,
and the x3 term is positive Examples
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6. Negative x3 Equation Highest power of x is 3,
and the x3 term is negative Examples
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7. Positive Reciprocal Equation Contains a
fraction with a positive x on the
bottom Examples
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8. Negative Reciprocal Equation Contains a
fraction with a negative x on the
bottom Examples
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• Good luck with your revision!