How do you graph y=2sin(x2)?

1 Answer
May 14, 2018

Vertical and horizontal stretches.

Explanation:

Starting from the standard sine function y=sin(x), you have two transformations:

  • sin(x)sin(x2). Multipling the input variable means to horizontally stretch/compress the graph of the function. So, in general, f(x)f(kx) means to compress the graph if |k|>1, and stretch it otherwise. Since in your case k=12, the graph will be stretched by a factor of 2. This means, for example, that the sinusoidal waves will take twice the time to complete their oscillations.
  • Then, you have sin(x2)2sin(x2). This kind of transformations f(x)kf(x) result in a vertical stretch if |k|>1, or a vertical compression otherwise. Since in your case k=2, the graph will be vertically stretched, again by a factor of 2. This affects the amplitude of the waves, which will no longer range between 1 and 1, but between 2 and 2.

Here,+2sin(x%2F2)) you can see the two graphs drawn together.