PROBLEM SET 14: FUNCTIONS

Easy

1
If the function f has three distinct zeros, which of the following
represents the graph of f in the xy-plane?

y y
A) B)

x x

y y
C) D)

x x

2
In the xy-plane, the graph of the function g has zeros at –4, 2, and
4. Which of the following could define g ?
A) g(x) = (x – 4)(x – 2)(x + 4)
B) g(x) = (x – 4)2(x – 2)
C) g(x) = (x – 4)(x + 2)(x + 4)
D) g(x) = (x + 2)(x + 4)2

226 | Math Workout for the SAT

 3
If f(x) = 2x + 1 and f(a) = 2, what is the value of a ?
1
A) –
2
1
B)
2
C) 2

D) 5

Medium

4
If f(x) = 4x + 2, which of the following is the graph of f(x) ?

A) y B) y

x x

C) y D) y

x x

[Link]

6. Problem Sets | 227

 5

(0, 3)

x
(–1, –2)

If the graph above is that of f(x), which of the following could be

f(x) ?
1 1
A) f(x) = x +
5 3
1 1
B) f(x) = x ++ 3
5 3
C) f(x) = 3x + 5

D) f(x) = 5x + 3

y
4

x
–5 –4 –3 –2 –1 1 2 3 4 5
–1

–2

Which of the following could be the equation of the graph in the

xy-plane shown above?
A) f(x) = x(x + 3)(x – 4)
B) f(x) = x(x + 4)(x – 3)
C) f(x) = x2(x + 3)(x – 4)
D) f(x) = x2(x + 4)(x – 3)

228 | Math Workout for the SAT

 7
If f(x) = 2x2 + 8x + 2, for what values of x does f(x) = 0 ?
A) x = –8 ± 4 3

B) x = –8 ± 3

C) x = –2 ± 3
40
D) x = –8 ±
2

8
The zeros of the polynomial function g are 4 and –2. If the range of
g is the set of real numbers greater than or equal to –3, which of the
following could be the graph of y = g(x) in the xy-plane?

A) y B) y

x x

C) y D) y

x x

[Link]

6. Problem Sets | 229

 Hard

y = f(x)
y

If the graph above shows the function f(x) = x3, which one of the
following graphs shows f(x) = (x + 2)3 – 3 ?

A) y B) y

x x

C) y D) y

x x

[Link]

230 | Math Workout for the SAT

10
y

60

50

40

30 f (x) = x 2 – 4x – 21
20

10
x
O
–7 –6 –5 –4 –3 –2 –1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
–10

–20

–30 V

Which of the following is an equivalent form of the equation of the

function graphed above from which the coordinates of the vertex V
can be identified as constants in the equation?
A) f(x) = (x – 3)(x + 7)
B) f(x) = (x + 3)(x – 7)
C) f(x) = (x – 2)2 – 25
D) f(x) = x(x – 4) – 21

11

p(x) = 3x3 + 15x2 + 18x

q(x) = x2 + 5x + 6
The polynomials p(x) and q(x) are defined above. Which of the
following polynomials is divisible by 3x – 2 ?
A) f(x) = p(x) – 2q(x)
B) g(x) = 2p(x) – 3q(x)
C) h(x) = 3p(x) – 2q(x)
D) j(x) = 4p(x) – 3q(x)

6. Problem Sets | 231