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Ch. 2 - Graphs and Functions
Lial - College Algebra 13th Edition
Lial13th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136881063Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 46

Determine whether each relation defines y as a function of x. Give the domain and range. y=√(7-2x)

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Identify the given relation: \(y = \sqrt{7 - 2x}\). This means \(y\) is defined as the square root of the expression \(7 - 2x\).
Determine the domain by finding all values of \(x\) for which the expression inside the square root is non-negative, since the square root of a negative number is not a real number. Set up the inequality: \(7 - 2x \geq 0\).
Solve the inequality for \(x\): Subtract 7 from both sides to get \(-2x \geq -7\), then divide both sides by \(-2\). Remember to reverse the inequality sign when dividing by a negative number, resulting in \(x \leq \frac{7}{2}\).
Check if the relation defines \(y\) as a function of \(x\): For each \(x\) in the domain, there is exactly one value of \(y\) because the square root function outputs only the non-negative root. Therefore, \(y\) is a function of \(x\).
Determine the range by considering the possible values of \(y\). Since \(y = \sqrt{7 - 2x}\) and the square root is always non-negative, the smallest value of \(y\) is 0 (when \(7 - 2x = 0\)), and the largest value occurs when \(7 - 2x\) is maximized (which is 7 when \(x = 0\)). So, the range is \(y \geq 0\) up to \(y \leq \sqrt{7}\).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Definition of a Function

A function is a relation where each input x corresponds to exactly one output y. To determine if y is a function of x, check that for every x-value there is only one y-value. This ensures the relation passes the vertical line test if graphed.
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Domain of a Function

The domain is the set of all possible input values (x-values) for which the function is defined. For functions involving square roots, the expression inside the root must be non-negative to yield real outputs, restricting the domain accordingly.
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Range of a Function

The range is the set of all possible output values (y-values) of the function. For y = √(7 - 2x), since the square root produces only non-negative values, the range consists of all y ≥ 0, adjusted by the domain restrictions.
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