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 trigonometric functions like cosine, it is determined by the coefficient in front of the cosine function. For the function y = 3 cos(x + π/2), 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 the cosine function, the standard period is 2π. However, if the function includes a coefficient affecting the x variable, the period is adjusted accordingly. In this case, since there is no coefficient affecting x in y = 3 cos(x + π/2), the period remains 2π.
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Phase Shift
Phase shift refers to the horizontal displacement of a trigonometric function along the x-axis. It is determined by the value added or subtracted from the x variable inside the function. In the function y = 3 cos(x + π/2), the phase shift is -π/2, indicating that the graph of the cosine function is shifted to the left by π/2 units.
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