Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Amplitude
Amplitude refers to the maximum distance a wave reaches from its central axis or equilibrium position. In the context of sine functions, it is determined by the coefficient in front of the sine term. For the function y = 3 sin(1/2 x), the amplitude is 3, indicating that the wave oscillates between 3 and -3.
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Period
The period of a trigonometric function is the length of one complete cycle of the wave. For sine functions, the period can be calculated using the formula P = 2π / |b|, where b is the coefficient of x. In the function y = 3 sin(1/2 x), the coefficient is 1/2, resulting in a period of 4π, meaning the function repeats every 4π units along the x-axis.
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Graphing Trigonometric Functions
Graphing trigonometric functions involves plotting the function's values over a specified interval to visualize its behavior. For y = 3 sin(1/2 x), one period can be graphed from 0 to 4π, showing the wave's oscillation between its amplitude limits. Understanding the amplitude and period is crucial for accurately representing the function's shape and characteristics on a graph.
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