Question

Difficulty: HardFunction Notation and Transformations

The graph of the function ff in the xyxy-plane has a vertex at (2,7)(-2, 7). The function gg is defined by g(x)=f(x+3)+12g(x) = f(-x + 3) + 12. If the vertex of the graph of y=g(x)y = g(x) is the point (a,b)(a, b), what is the value of a+ba + b?

Answer: 24

Answer

24
The vertex of the parent function f(x)f(x) is at (2,7)(-2, 7), which means f(2)=7f(-2) = 7. The transformed function is g(x)=f(x+3)+12g(x) = f(-x + 3) + 12. The vertex of g(x)g(x) occurs when the input to ff, which is x+3-x + 3, is equal to 2-2. Solving x+3=2-x + 3 = -2 gives x=5-x = -5, or x=5x = 5, so the x-coordinate of the vertex of g(x)g(x) is a=5a = 5. To find the y-coordinate bb, we evaluate g(5)=f((5)+3)+12=f(2)+12=7+12=19g(5) = f(-(5) + 3) + 12 = f(-2) + 12 = 7 + 12 = 19. Therefore, the vertex of the graph of y=g(x)y = g(x) is (5,19)(5, 19), so a=5a = 5 and b=19b = 19. The value of a+ba + b is 5+19=245 + 19 = 24.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Find the x-coordinate of the vertex of the transformed function g(x)g(x) by setting the inner expression equal to the x-coordinate of the original vertex.
a=5a = 5
The vertex of f(x)f(x) is located at x=2x = -2. For g(x)=f(x+3)+12g(x) = f(-x + 3) + 12, the vertex occurs when the input to ff, x+3-x + 3, is equal to 2-2. Solving x+3=2-x + 3 = -2 yields x=5x = 5.
2
Find the y-coordinate of the vertex of g(x)g(x) by evaluating g(5)g(5).
b=19b = 19
Substituting x=5x = 5 into the definition of g(x)g(x) gives g(5)=f(2)+12g(5) = f(-2) + 12. Since the vertex of ff is at (2,7)(-2, 7), f(2)=7f(-2) = 7. Thus, g(5)=7+12=19g(5) = 7 + 12 = 19.
3
Calculate the sum of the coordinates aa and bb.
24
The vertex of g(x)g(x) is (5,19)(5, 19), so a=5a = 5 and b=19b = 19. The sum a+ba + b is 5+19=245 + 19 = 24.

Key Concept

Determining the coordinates of a transformed vertex using function notation.
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