LESSON 2:

EVALUATING
FUNCTIONS
 Evaluating a function means
replacing the variable in the
function, in this case x, with a
value from the function’s domain
and computing for the result. To
denote that we are evaluating f at
a for some a in the domain of f,
we write f(a).
Example 1. Evaluate the following
functions at x=1.5:
1.) f(x)=2x+1
2.) q(x)=x²-2x+2
3.) g(x)= 𝑥 + 1
2𝑥+1
4.) r(x)=
𝑥−1
 Answers:
1.) f(x)=4
2.)q(x)=1.25
3.) g(x)= 2.5
4.) r(x)= 8
 EXAMPLE 2:
Find g(-4) for g(x)= 𝑥 + 1 , and r(1)
2𝑥+1
for r(x)= .
𝑥−1
Solution: This is not possible
because -4 is not in the
domain of g(x) and 1 is not
in the domain of r(x).
EXAMPLE 3:
- Evaluate the following
functions.
a.) f(3x-1) using f(x)=2x+1
b.)q(2x+3) using q(x)=x²-2x+2
 Answers:
a.) 6x-1
b.)4x²+8x+5
 SOLVED
EXAMPLES:
1.) Evaluate the following functions at x=3.
a.)f(x)=x-3
b.)g(x)=x²-3x+5
3
c.)h(x)= 𝑥³ + 𝑥 + 3
𝑥²+1
d.)p(x) =
𝑥−4

e.) f(x)=│x-5│ where │x-5│ means the

absolute value of x-5.
 Answers:
a.)f(3)=0
b.)g(3)=5
3
c.)h(3)= 33
d.) p(3)=-10
e.)f(3)=2
 2.)For what values of x
can we not evaluate the
𝑥+3
function f(x)= ?
𝑥²−4
 Solution:
The domain of the function
is given by {x: xԐR, x≠±2}.
Since 2 and -2 are not in
the domain, we cannot
evaluate the function at
x=2,-2.
3.) Evaluate f(a+b) where
f(x) = 4x²-3x.
 Answer:
f(a+b)=4a²-3a+8ab-3b+4b².
SUPPLEMENTARY
EXERCISES:
1.) Evaluate the following functions at x=-4.

a.) f(x)=x³-64
b.)g(x)=│x³-3x²+3x-1│
c.)r(x)= 5 − 𝑥
𝑥+3
d.)q(x)=
𝑥²+7𝑥+12
 9 − 𝑥², 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 2
2.) Given f(x) = 𝑥 + 7, 𝑖𝑓 2 ≤ 𝑥 < 10 ,
│𝑥 − 4│, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 10
give the values of the following:

a.) f(2)
b.)f(12.5)
c.)f(-3)
d.)f(5)
e.)f(1.5)
3.)Given f(x)=x²-4x+4. Solve
for
a.) f(3)
b.) f(x+3)
c.) Is f(x+3) the same as
f(x)+f(3) ?
 4.) A computer shop charges P20 per
hour (or a fraction of an hour) for the
first 2 hours and an additional P10 per
hour for each succeeding hour. Find
how much you would pay if you used
one of their computers for:
a.) 40 minutes
b.) 3 hours
c.) 150 minutes
 5.) Under certain circumstances, a rumor
spreads according to the equation
1
p(t) =
1+15(2.1)−0.3𝑡

where p(t) is the proportion of the population

that knows the rumor (t) days after the rumor
started. Find p(4) and p(10).