2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

Lecture Notes
Example 2: Horizontal Translation parallel to the x-axis

Consider the following graphs where a is a positive number:

(i) y = f(x) = x 2
y = f(x – a) =  x  a  Replace x
2
(ii)
with (x – a)
y = f(x + a) =  x  a  .
2
(iii)
y
y = f(x)

y = f(x + a) y = f(x – a)

x
–a 0 a

Summary : Translation on x-variable

Translation in the x – direction means moving the graph to the left or to

the right parallel to the x-axis.

Translation: Effect on equation from Effect on points of Description

y  f ( x  a) y  f ( x) graph y = f(x)
For any positive or Replace x with x  a x-coordinates changed Translate graph by a
negative a by a units units in the positive x-
E.g., y  f ( x  5) y  f ( x )  y  f ( x  a) direction.
y  f ( x  ( 5)) (p, q)  (p + a, q) Translate graph by
|a| units in the
negative x-direction.

Chapter 6: Transformations of Graph Page 3 of 37