Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

LESSON 1.2
Functions vs Relations
Table of Contents
Introduction 1

Test Your Prerequisite Skills 2

DepEd Competency 2

Objectives 2

Warm-Up! 3

Learn about It! 4

Let’s Practice 7

Check Your Understanding 11

Key Points 13

Bibliography 14
Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Lesson 1.2
Functions vs Relations

Fig. 1. Group of Friends Studying

Introduction
Relationships can be observed in our day to day lives. For instance, your exam scores depend
on the amount of work you put in studying. Another possible relationship is that your
allowance may also depend on your academic performance. Additionally, another
relationship is that the income of a wage earner depends on the number of hours he worked.
Some of these relationships can be expressed using mathematical functions.

In this lesson, you will learn more about relations and how functions and relations are related.

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Test Your Prerequisite Skills

Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will
help you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in studying
this lesson. Show your complete solution.

A. Represent the following sets.

1. Set 𝐴 containing the vowels in the alphabet.
2. Set 𝐵 containing all the prime numbers between 1 – 100.
3. Set 𝐶 containing the multiples of 7 between 1 – 100.

B. Graph the following.

1. 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 5
2. 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 6

DepEd Competency
This lesson serves as an enrichment for the following K-12 or MELC competency:

● Represent real-life situations using functions, including piece-wise

functions (M11GM-Ia-1).

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to do the following:

● Clearly define relations and functions.

● Correctly differentiate a function from a relation.

● Accurately determine whether a given scenario is a function or not.

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Warm-Up!

Name That Young!

Materials
● pen
● paper

Instructions
1. This activity should be done individually.
2. Refer to the columns below. On the left are animals’ names and on the right are the
names given to the animals’ young.
3. Draw an arrow to connect the name of an animal to its young.

Animal Young
Elephant Kitten
Cat
Penguin Calf
Giraffe
Camel Chick
Chicken

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Learn about It!

Essential Question
What is a relation?

The activity in Warm Up! illustrates relations and functions. As you make progress in this
lesson, you will be able to identify the relation shown in the previous activity.

Relation
A relation is a set of objects, such as numbers, grouped together that may or may not
represent a pattern. It is simply a set of ordered pairs that are arranged in an orderly manner.

There are four types of relations of ordered pairs. Study the following.

One-to-one correspondence
Each value of 𝑥 is unique and is associated with a unique value of 𝑦.

Examples:

Observe that each number in the 𝑥-column is paired with a particular number in the 𝑦-
column.

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Many-to-one correspondence
Two or more values of 𝑥 are associated with the same value of 𝑦.

Example:

In this case, the numbers 1, 2, 3 (𝑥-values) are paired with the same 𝑦-value (4).

One-to-Many correspondence
Some values of 𝑥 are associated with more than one value of 𝑦.

Example:

One-to-one and many-to-one relations are both considered functions.

Many-to-Many correspondence
Some values of both 𝑥 and 𝑦 are associated with more than one value of their counterpart.

Example:

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

One- to-one and many-to-one relations are both considered functions.

Function
A function is a special kind of relation in which no two distinct ordered pairs have the same
first element.

Since relations are composed of ordered pairs, we may plot the corresponding points on the
Cartesian plane. Similarly, a relation or function defined by an equation can be represented
by the graph of the said equation.

The vertical line test can be used to determine if a graph represents a function. In this test,
if a vertical line is drawn on any part of the graph and it intersects at most one point of the
graph, then the graph is a function. However, if a vertical line intersects the graph at more
than one point, then the graph is not a function. This is because there are points with the
same 𝑥-coordinate (one value of the independent variable) but different 𝑦-coordinates
(multiple values of the dependent variable). This is an example of a one-to-many relation.

Essential Question
How will you distinguish a function from a relation?

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Let’s Practice
Example 1
What type of relation best describes the following?
a. Students and their ID numbers
b. A family with five members living in the same house
c. A class adviser to her students
d. Students and classes

Solution
a. In a school, a student owns exactly one ID number. Thus, this is an example of one-
to-one correspondence.
b. A family with five members living in the same house is an example of a many-to-one
relation.
c. One class adviser corresponds to many students in a class. So, this is a one-to-many
type of relation.
d. This is a many-to-many relation. Each student attends multiple classes. At the same
time, each class has many students.

Try It Yourself!
Identify the type of relation that best describes each situation.
a. Students in a class and their birthdays
b. Countries and their national flags
c. Books and authors
d. Mothers and children

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Example 2
Write all the ordered pairs in the figure and determine the type of relation depicted by the
given figure.

Solution
Let us list all the ordered pairs:

(𝟏, 𝟓), (𝟏, 𝟔), (𝟐, 𝟖), (𝟑, 𝟖)

The relation is a many-to-many type of relation. Note that an element in set A, like 1, is
associated with multiple elements in set B (5 and 6). Similarly, an element in set B, like 8, is
associated with multiple elements in set A (2 and 3).

Try It Yourself!
List all the ordered pairs in the given figure and determine its
type of relation.

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Example 3
Tell whether each graph represents a function or not.

Solution
a. The graph represents a function because when a vertical line is drawn anywhere
on the graph, it will pass through the graph at exactly one point.
b. The graph does not represent a function. Note that a vertical line is already drawn.
Observe that the line crosses the graph at more than one point. Thus, the graph failed
the vertical line test.

Try It Yourself!
Graph the values on a coordinate plane and determine if it 𝒙 𝒚
represents a function or a relation. −2 6
−1 0
0 −2
1 0
2 6

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Real-world Problems

Example 4
The weight of Mrs. Lazaro’s baby is being monitored by their family
pediatrician. She listed down the baby’s weight in kilograms with respect
to the baby’s age in weeks. Will the ordered pairs from the pediatrician’s
data represent a function or a relation? Explain your answer.

Solution
The ordered pairs in the pediatrician’s data will form a function because there will be a one-
to-one or many-to-one correspondence in the baby’s weight and the baby’s age. There will
be a one-to-one correspondence if the baby’s weight is unique each week the weight is
recorded.

On the other hand, there will be a many-to-one correspondence if there are weeks when the
baby’s weights are the same. In any case, however, the data will represent a function.

Example 5
Mrs. Salazar collects data of her son’s progress in Math for four
quarters of a school year. She then made a table with two variables:
the four quarters of the school year and her son’s Math grade for
the specific quarter. Do the data represent a function or a relation?
Explain your answer.

Solution
The data represent a function because there is a one-to-one correspondence (i.e., the
grades each quarter is unique) or a many-to-one correspondence (i.e., there are quarters
where the grades are the same). In any case, the data represent a function.

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Try It Yourself!
The HR manager of a publishing house found out that Ms. Jaime is
listed as author of different books. Does this show a function or a
relation? Explain your answer.

Check Your Understanding

1. Draw a diagram of each set of ordered pairs and determine if each set represents a
one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many correspondence.
a. (2, 3), (3, 2), (2, 5), (5, 2)
b. (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4), (5, 5)
c. (1, 4), (2, 4), (3, 4), (4, 4)
d. (1, 𝑎), (1, 𝑏), (1, 𝑐), (1, 𝑑)
e. (3, −2), (3, 2), (4, −2), (5, 2)

2. Tell whether each relation is a function or not. Graph the following points on a
coordinate plane and determine if each graph is a function or a relation.
a.
𝒙 𝒚
−2 6
−1 3
0 2
1 2
2 6

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Mathematics

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

b.
𝒙 𝒚
−2 −8
−1 −5
0 2
1 1
2 4

3. Analyze and answer the problem below.

The head of the accounting department collects data of the employees’ salary and the
number of overtime hours they rendered. If the data are used as variables and plotted
in a chart, would the chart show a function or a relation? Explain your answer.

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 Mathematics
●

Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Key Points

● A relation is a set of objects, such as numbers, grouped together which may or may
not represent a pattern; it is simply a set of ordered pairs that are arranged in an
orderly manner.
● A one-to-one correspondence is where each value of the independent variable (𝑥) is
unique and is associated with a unique value of the dependent variable (𝑦).
● A many-to-one correspondence is where two or more values of 𝑥 is associated with
the same value of 𝑦.
● A one-to-many correspondence is where some values of 𝑥 are associated with more
than one value of 𝑦.
● A many-to-many correspondence is where some values of 𝑥 and 𝑦 are associated
with more than one value of their counterpart.
● A function is a special kind of relation in which no two distinct ordered pairs have the
same first element.
● A vertical line test can be used to determine if a graph represents a function.

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 Mathematics
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Grade 11 • Unit 1: Introduction to Functions

Bibliography

Purple Math. "Functions versus Relations." Accessed January 27, 2019.

https://www.purplemath.com/modules/fcns.htm

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