Pre-requisite knowledge for this activity:

 The student is comfortable graphing on the TI-83+ or TI-84+ calculator.

 The student knows how to find x-intercepts and y-intercepts, both algebraically and
graphically.
 The student recognizes polynomials and can find the degree of a polynomial function.

Let’s get started.

A. View the graph of y=x2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph A

( x  0) 2

Note: x2 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.____
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._____________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the
x-axis at each x-intercept?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________

B. View the graph of y   x 2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph B

( x  0) 2

Note: -x2 may also be written – .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial. ________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._______________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?__________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph B to Graph A. Comment on similarities and differences.

C. View the graph of y=x3 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph C

( x  0) 3

Note: y=x3 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial. ___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph._________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept(s)?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph C to Graph A. Comment on similarities and differences.

D. View the graph of y   x 3 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch your graph below:

Graph D
  ( x  0) 3

Note: y=-x3 may also be written .

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial._________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph D to Graph C and also to Graph B. Comment on similarities and
differences.

E. View the graph of y  ( x  0)1 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch

your graph below:

Graph E

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.__________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis
at each x-intercept?_________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph E to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and
differences.
F. View the graph of y  ( x  0)1 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch
your graph below:

Graph F

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph F to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

G. View the graph of y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2)1 ( x  1)1 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch

your graph below:

Graph G
Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.__________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis
at each x-intercept?__________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph G to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and
differences.

H. View the graph of y  ( x  0)( x  2) 2 ( x  1) 2 in a Zoom 4 window. Sketch

your graph below:

Graph H

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.___________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph H to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

I. View the graph of y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2) 2 ( x  1) 2 in the following window and

sketch your graph.
Graph I

Observations:
 Identify the degree of the polynomial.__________
 As x  , y  ____ .
 As x  , y  ____ .
 Identify the x-intercept(s) of the graph.____________________________________
 Is the graph tangent to the x-axis or does the graph continue through the x-axis at
each x-intercept?____________________________________________________
 Identify the y-intercept of the graph.__________
 Compare Graph I to your previous graphs. Comment on similarities and differences.

J. Based upon your observations above, predict the behavior of the graph of
y  ( x  0) 2 ( x  2) 2 ( x  1) . Sketch what you think the graph will look like
on the coordinate plane provided. Do not use your calculator yet.

Graph J
Now check your sketch by viewing the graph in the window shown:

Comment on any inaccuracies in your graph.

K. Answer the following questions based on your observations in Graphs A

through J.

 Compare the graphs of polynomials of odd degree with those of even degree.
What do you think this determines on your graph?

 Compare the factors with odd powers to those with even powers. What do you
think this determines on your graph?

 Compare the equations with positive leading coefficients with those of negative
leading coefficients. What do you think this determines on your graph?

 How do we determine the y-intercept of a graph using only its equation?

 How do we determine the x-intercepts of a graph using only its equation?

Now that you know what determines the behavior of polynomial graphs, you are
able to sketch them without the use of your calculator.

Try these:

Using what you have learned, match the equation to its appropriate graph.

1. y  x ( x  3) 2 ( x  4)

2. y   x 2 ( x  3)( x  4) 2

3. y  x ( x  3)( x  4) 2

4. y   x 2 ( x  3) 2 ( x  4) 2

A. B.

C. D.

In the space provided, sketch a graph of the equation without using your calculator.
Note the x-intercepts and y-intercept on the axes. You need not worry about proper
scaling on the y-axis.

5. y   x 3 ( x  5) 2
6. y  ( x  1) 4 ( x  3) 2

7. y  x 4  8 x 2  16
(Hint: Notice that all the other polynomials we’ve studied have been written in
factored form!)

8. Now, write an equation for a polynomial whose graph has the following
characteristics:

 As x  , y   and as x  , y  
 The graph is tangent at both its x-intercepts -5 and 2.

Write your equation here:__________________________________________

What is the y-intercept of your graph?____________

Challenge: You must be a pro by now! See if you can handle this one!

Sketch the graph of the equation y  x10 ( x  7)13 ( x  12) 6