SOLUTION: If I am graphing a piecewise function f(x)={2x+1 if x<3 x-4 if x=>3 I have my points but the confusion is when I graph them I am not sure which way the lines should go wh

Algebra ->  Graphs -> SOLUTION: If I am graphing a piecewise function f(x)={2x+1 if x<3 x-4 if x=>3 I have my points but the confusion is when I graph them I am not sure which way the lines should go wh      Log On


   

Question 190394This question is from textbook
: If I am graphing a piecewise function
f(x)={2x+1 if x<3
x-4 if x=>3
I have my points but the confusion is when I graph them I am not sure which way the lines should go whether it is up or down. For 2x+1 my points are (0,1) (2,5) (3,7) and for x-4 (0,-4) (1, -3) (2,-2)
Can you show me how this should look on a graph?
Anyone that could help it would be greatly appreciated. This question is from textbook

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Your graph should look like this:




All that you're doing is graphing y=2x%2B1 ONLY for x values that are less than 3 (ie you erase the portion of the graph that is beyond x=3). The same applies to y=x-4. You are graphing y=x-4 ONLY for x values that are greater than or equal to 3.


Note: at the point (3,7) there is an open circle (we're not including this point) and there's a closed circle at (3,-1) (we're including this point).