Graph Sketching Worksheet 1

Sketch the following. Remember that a sketch is just a sketch: you should indicate intercepts with the
axis/asymptotes/𝑦 as 𝑥 → ±∞ and the general shape of the curve, but you should otherwise not label your
axis. Try and avoid an approach of just trying lots of 𝑥 values and calculating the resulting 𝑦 value)

Note that there are a lot of questions here! Choose a good mixture (including a few of the last ones), and you
could return to working on these later.

1. 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 cos 𝑥 1
11. 𝑦 = cos 𝑥+1
ln 𝑥
2. 𝑦= (𝑥−3)(𝑥+1)
𝑥 12. 𝑦 = (𝑥−2)(𝑥−5)
sin 𝑥
3. 𝑦=2 𝑥2
1 13. 𝑦 = | |
4. 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 𝑥2 𝑥+2
2 3
1 14. 𝑦 = 𝑥
5. 𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥
sin 𝑥 15. 𝑦 3 = 𝑥 2
6. 𝑦= 𝑥−2
√𝑥 16. 𝑦 2 = 𝑥+3
1
7. 𝑦 = sin (𝑥) 17. 𝑦 2 = 1 + cos 𝑥
𝑥 2
8. 𝑦 = sin 𝑥 18. 𝑦 2 = (1−𝑥)
𝑥

2𝑥
9. 𝑦= 19. 𝑦 2 = 𝑥 3 − 𝑥
𝑥
3
10. 𝑦 = 𝑥+2 + 4 20. 𝑦 3 = 𝑥 2 (1 − 𝑥 )2
21. 𝑧 = sin(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )

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 Graph Sketching Worksheet 1 - ANSWERS

In each case the blue line is the function itself. Any other lines are indicative.
Note also that trigonometric functions use radians and not degrees (where 𝜋 radians = 180°) – you’ll learn
about this in C2 if you haven’t already.

All graphs (except the last) were sketched using www.graphsketch.com (you could also type “sketch [my
function]” into www.wolframalpha.com)

1. 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 cos 𝑥 4. 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 𝑥2
1

(The straight red line is 𝑦 = 𝑥, which is

the ‘oblique asymptote’)

ln 𝑥
2. 𝑦= 𝑥

1
5. 𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥

1
Turning point (𝑒, 𝑒 ). As 𝑥 → ∞, 𝑦 → 0 as sin 𝑥
6. 𝑦=
√𝑥
the 𝑥 grows more rapidly than ln 𝑥.
(The lines at the top and bottom are 𝑦 =
1 1
and 𝑦 = − )
3. 𝑦 = 2sin 𝑥 √𝑥 √𝑥

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 1 1
7. 𝑦 = sin (𝑥) 11. 𝑦 = cos 𝑥+1

𝑥 (𝑥−3)(𝑥+1)
8. 𝑦 = sin 𝑥 12. 𝑦 = (𝑥−2)(𝑥−5)
(The two diagonals lines are 𝑦 = 𝑥 and You can see that we’ll have an asymptote
𝑦 = −𝑥) when 𝑥 = 2 or 𝑥 = 5 and roots when 𝑥 =
3 or 𝑥 = −1. Then it’s just a case of filling
in the rest by considering when happens
when 𝑥 → ±∞ and the curve at either
side of the asymptote.

2𝑥
9. 𝑦= 𝑥

𝑥2
13. 𝑦 = |𝑥+2|

3
10. 𝑦 = 𝑥+2 + 4

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 2
14. 𝑦 2 = 𝑥 3 𝑥
18. 𝑦 2 = (1−𝑥)
(Note that from this questions onwards,
both the red line and blue line are part of
the function – my software didn’t allow
me to use ±)

19. 𝑦 2 = 𝑥 3 − 𝑥

15. 𝑦 3 = 𝑥 2

20. 𝑦 3 = 𝑥 2 (1 − 𝑥 )2

𝑥−2
16. 𝑦 2 = 𝑥+3

21. 𝑧 = sin(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )
This is just like the example in the lecture
notes, except we’re now taking sin of
what the old value of 𝑧 was.
17. 𝑦 2 = 1 + cos 𝑥

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=sketch+z+%3D+sin%28x%5E
2%2By%5E2%29+from+x%3D-3+to+3%2C+y%3D-3+to+3

www.drfrostmaths.com/rzc