2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

Lecture Notes
(B) Scaling
A scaling is a stretch of a graph parallel to the x-axis or y-axis.

Example 4a: Scale parallel to the y-axis

Consider the graph y = f(x) = sin x for 3600  x  3600 and the following graphs
1 1
(i) y = 2f(x) = 2sin x (ii) y  f ( x )  sin x
2 2
y
2 y = 2f(x)

y = f(x)
1
1
y f ( x)
2 x
‒360 ‒180 0 180 360

‒1

Summary: Scaling on y-variable

Scaling parallel to the y-axis basically means expanding or shrinking the graph vertically.

i.e. the new y-coordinates are multiples of the original y-coordinates represented by y = cf(x),
c > 0.
Scaling: y  cf ( x ) Effect on equation Effect on points of Description
from y  f ( x ) graph y = f(x)
c is positive y y-coordinates Scale the graph
Replace y with
c multiplied by scale parallel to the y-axis by
y factor c. a scale factor of c .
y  f ( x)   f ( x)
c
(p, q)  (p, cq)
 y  cf ( x )

Note: Scale factor has no unit.

Chapter 6: Transformations of Graph Page 7 of 37