Question

What is the effect on the graph of the function f(x) = x when f(x) is replaced with -1/2 f(x)?

Answer 1

Answer:

C) horizontal reflection over y-axis and horizontal stretch

Step-by-step explanation:

1a- A vertical reflection over the x-axis occurs when a function $f(x)$ is transformed into $f(-x)$

1b- A horizontal reflection over the y-axis occurs when a function $f(x)$ is transformed into $-f(x)$

2a- A function is being compressed if $f(x)$ is multiplied by a positive factor k: $k f(x)$ with $k>1$

2b- A function is being stretched if $f(x)$ is multiplied by a positive factor k: $k f(x)$ with $k$

In our problem, the original function $f(x)$ is:

- Multiplied by 1/2, so by a factor which is smaller than 1, so we are in case 2b

- Transformed from $f(x)$ into $-f(x)$ (due to the negative sign in front of it), so we are in case 1b

So, overall, we had a horizontal reflection over the y-axis and a stretch of the function.