Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Tangent Function
The tangent function, denoted as tan(x), is a fundamental trigonometric function defined as the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side in a right triangle. It is periodic with a period of π, meaning it repeats its values every π radians. Understanding the behavior of the tangent function is crucial for graphing, as it has vertical asymptotes where the function is undefined.
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Period of a Function
The period of a function is the length of one complete cycle of the function's graph. For the tangent function, the standard period is π, but this can change with transformations. In the given function y = 2 tan(x/2), the period is modified by the coefficient of x, resulting in a new period of 2π, which means the graph will repeat every 2π radians.
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Vertical Stretch
A vertical stretch occurs when a function is multiplied by a constant factor greater than one, affecting the amplitude of the graph. In the function y = 2 tan(x/2), the factor of 2 indicates a vertical stretch, which means the output values of the tangent function will be doubled. This transformation alters the steepness of the graph, making it rise and fall more sharply compared to the standard tangent function.
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