Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Amplitude
Amplitude refers to the maximum height of a wave from its central axis. In the equations y = a cos(bx) or y = a sin(bx), the value 'a' represents the amplitude. It determines how far the graph stretches vertically from the midline, affecting the overall height of the peaks and depth of the troughs.
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Period
The period of a trigonometric function is the distance along the x-axis required for the function to complete one full cycle. In the equations y = a cos(bx) or y = a sin(bx), the period is calculated as 2π/b. This concept is crucial for understanding how frequently the wave oscillates and is essential for matching the graph to the correct function.
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Phase Shift
Phase shift refers to the horizontal displacement of a trigonometric graph. It occurs when the function is adjusted by adding or subtracting a constant inside the argument of the sine or cosine function. Understanding phase shift is important for accurately positioning the graph along the x-axis, which can be necessary to match the given graph in the problem.
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