Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 43m
- 1. Measuring Angles39m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions
Graphs of Tangent and Cotangent Functions
Problem 4.6
Textbook Question
Textbook QuestionFor each function, give the amplitude, period, vertical translation, and phase shift, as applicable.
y = tan 3x
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Amplitude
Amplitude refers to the maximum extent of a periodic function from its central axis. For trigonometric functions like sine and cosine, amplitude is a key characteristic, but it does not apply to the tangent function. Therefore, when analyzing the function y = tan(3x), we note that it does not have an amplitude since it can take on all real values.
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Period
The period of a trigonometric function is the length of one complete cycle of the function. For the tangent function, the standard period is π. However, when the function is modified, such as in y = tan(3x), the period is adjusted by the coefficient of x. Specifically, the period becomes π/3, indicating that the function completes one full cycle over this interval.
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Phase Shift
Phase shift refers to the horizontal displacement of a periodic function from its standard position. For functions of the form y = tan(bx - c), the phase shift can be calculated as c/b. In the case of y = tan(3x), there is no horizontal shift since there is no constant added or subtracted from the argument of the tangent function, resulting in a phase shift of zero.
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