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Composite Transformations of Graphs (DP IB Maths: AI HL)
Revision Note
Composite Transformations of Graphs
What transformations do I need to know?
- is horizontal translation by vector
- If k is positive then the graph moves left
- If k is negative then the graph moves right
- is vertical translation by vector
- If k is positive then the graph moves up
- If k is negative then the graph moves down
- is a horizontal stretch by scale factor centred about the y-axis
- If k > 1 then the graph gets closer to the y-axis
- If 0 < k < 1 then the graph gets further from the y-axis
- is a vertical stretch by scale factor centred about the x-axis
- If k > 1 then the graph gets further from the x-axis
- If 0 < k < 1 then the graph gets closer to the x-axis
- is a horizontal reflection about the y-axis
- A horizontal reflection can be viewed as a special case of a horizontal stretch
- is a vertical reflection about the x-axis
- A vertical reflection can be viewed as a special case of a vertical stretch
How do horizontal and vertical transformations affect each other?
- Horizontal and vertical transformations are independent of each other
- The horizontal transformations involved will need to be applied in their correct order
- The vertical transformations involved will need to be applied in their correct order
- Suppose there are two horizontal transformation H1 then H2 and two vertical transformations V1 then V2 then they can be applied in the following orders:
- Horizontal then vertical:
- H1 H2 V1 V2
- Vertical then horizontal:
- V1 V2 H1 H2
- Mixed up (provided that H1 comes before H2 and V1 comes before V2):
- H1 V1 H2 V2
- H1 V1 V2 H2
- V1 H1 V2 H2
- V1 H1 H2 V2
- Horizontal then vertical:
Examiner Tip
- In an exam you are more likely to get the correct solution if you deal with one transformation at a time and sketch the graph after each transformation
Worked example
The diagram below shows the graph of .
Sketch the graph of .
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Composite Vertical Transformations af(x)+b
How do I deal with multiple vertical transformations?
- Order matters when you have more than one vertical transformations
- If you are asked to find the equation then build up the equation by looking at the transformations in order
- A vertical stretch by scale factor a followed by a translation of
- Stretch:
- Then translation:
- Final equation:
- A translation of followed by a vertical stretch by scale factor a
- Translation:
- Then stretch:
- Final equation:
- A vertical stretch by scale factor a followed by a translation of
- If you are asked to determine the order
- The order of vertical transformations follows the order of operations
- First write the equation in the form
- First stretch vertically by scale factor a
- If a is negative then the reflection and stretch can be done in any order
- Then translate by
Worked example
The diagram below shows the graph of .
Sketch the graph of .
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Composite Horizontal Transformations f(ax+b)
How do I deal with multiple horizontal transformations?
- Order matters when you have more than one horizontal transformations
- If you are asked to find the equation then build up the equation by looking at the transformations in order
- A horizontal stretch by scale factor followed by a translation of
- Stretch:
- Then translation:
- Final equation:
- A translation of followed by a horizontal stretch by scale factor
- Translation:
- Then stretch:
- Final equation:
- A horizontal stretch by scale factor followed by a translation of
- If you are asked to determine the order
- First write the equation in the form
- The order of horizontal transformations is the reverse of the order of operations
- First translate by
- Then stretch by scale factor
- If a is negative then the reflection and stretch can be done in any order
Worked example
The diagram below shows the graph of .
Sketch the graph of .
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