CurriculumGrade 9Mathematics

Interpreting Graphs of Functions

Aligned to F-IF.B.4 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

What this lesson teaches

A graph tells a story: intercepts, where it increases or decreases, and maximums or minimums all have real meaning depending on the context.

Worked example

A ball's height vs. time rises to a peak (maximum height) then falls; the x-intercepts are when it leaves and hits the ground.

Practice questions

  1. On a distance-time graph, what does a flat line mean?
  2. Identify the maximum of a parabola opening downward.
  3. What do the x-intercepts of a height graph represent?

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Interpretación de Gráficas de Funciones

Una gráfica cuenta una historia: las intersecciones, los intervalos donde crece o decrece, y los máximos o mínimos tienen un significado real dependiendo del contexto.

Ejemplo: La altura de una pelota en función del tiempo sube hasta un punto máximo (altura máxima) y luego baja; las intersecciones con el eje x representan el momento en que la pelota sale y cuando toca el suelo.

More Functions lessons

What Is a Function?F-IF.A.1Evaluating FunctionsF-IF.A.2Sequences as FunctionsF-IF.A.3Domain in ContextF-IF.B.5Average Rate of ChangeF-IF.B.6Graphing Key FeaturesF-IF.C.7

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