Question

Difficulty: MediumLinear Functions and Graphs

The table below shows some values for the linear function ff.

xxf(x)f(x)
2255
551414
882323

If the function gg is defined by g(x)=f(x)+kg(x) = f(x) + k, where kk is a constant, and the xx-intercept of the graph of y=g(x)y = g(x) in the xyxy-plane is 2-2, what is the value of kk?

Answer: 7

Answer

The value of kk is 77.
To find the value of kk, we first determine the linear function f(x)f(x) using the values in the table. The slope of ff is calculated as 14552=3\frac{14 - 5}{5 - 2} = 3. Substituting the point (2,5)(2, 5) into the slope-intercept form f(x)=3x+bf(x) = 3x + b gives 5=3(2)+b5 = 3(2) + b, which simplifies to b=1b = -1. Therefore, f(x)=3x1f(x) = 3x - 1. The function gg is defined as g(x)=f(x)+k=3x1+kg(x) = f(x) + k = 3x - 1 + k. Since the xx-intercept of the graph of y=g(x)y = g(x) is 2-2, we must have g(2)=0g(-2) = 0. Substituting x=2x = -2 into the equation for g(x)g(x) gives 3(2)1+k=03(-2) - 1 + k = 0, which simplifies to 7+k=0-7 + k = 0. Solving for kk yields k=7k = 7.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the slope of the linear function ff.
The slope of ff is 33.
Using the points (2,5)(2, 5) and (5,14)(5, 14) from the table, the slope is calculated as m=14552=93=3m = \frac{14 - 5}{5 - 2} = \frac{9}{3} = 3.
2
Find the equation for f(x)f(x).
f(x)=3x1f(x) = 3x - 1
Using the slope-intercept form f(x)=3x+bf(x) = 3x + b and the point (2,5)(2, 5), we solve for bb: 5=3(2)+b5 = 3(2) + b, which gives b=1b = -1.
3
Set up the equation for g(x)g(x) and use the xx-intercept to find the value of kk.
k=7k = 7
Since g(x)=f(x)+kg(x) = f(x) + k, we have g(x)=3x1+kg(x) = 3x - 1 + k. The xx-intercept of g(x)g(x) is 2-2, so g(2)=0g(-2) = 0. This gives 3(2)1+k=03(-2) - 1 + k = 0, which simplifies to 7+k=0-7 + k = 0, meaning k=7k = 7.

Key Concept

Finding the equation of a linear function from tabular data and applying translations and intercepts.
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