Brainlag PlusLinear, quadratic, cubic, reciprocal and exponential graphs: what each looks like, tables of values, plotting and y = abˣ.
Five shapes to know
Look at how x appears in the equation.
- Linear, y = 2x + 1: x to the power 1. A straight line.
- Quadratic, y = x² − 3: highest power 2. A U shape, or an upside-down U when the x² term is negative.
- Cubic, y = x³ − 4x: highest power 3. An S shape: from bottom left to top right when the x³ term is positive.
- Reciprocal, y = 4/x: x on the bottom. Two separate pieces that get closer and closer to the axes but never touch them.
- Exponential, y = 2ˣ: x is the power. Flat close to the x-axis on the left, steep on the right, and it crosses the y-axis at 1.
Here are y = x³ − 4x, y = 4/x (two pieces) and y = 2ˣ.
The rest of this lesson and its 7 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 7 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- The Graphing Calculator beside every question
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards