Pictorial representation of

functions
• A graph is a pictorial representation of data

• The names of the x and y axis

▫ The x axis is the horizontal axis, and represents
the controlled variable
▫ The y axis is the vertical axis, and represents the
observed variable.
• The purpose of drawing graph is to discern
whether two variables are related – we look for a
correlation

• A graph can be plotted, both manually and using

computer programmers such as Excel.
 Straight Line
y

x
• General form: y = ax + b
• The value of a reflects the slope of the line.
• If a > 0 , the line increases (from left to right); if
a < 0, it decreases.
 Parabola

• Basic form : y = x2.

• General form: y = ax2 + bx + c
• If a > 0, the parabola’s “top” is down; if a < 0, the
top is up.
• Shifting the parabola (up/down, left/right) results in
different values for b and c, respectively.
 Exponential

• Basic form : f(x) = ex.

• General form: f(x) = aebx.
• If b > 0, the curve has the same shape as the basic
exponential;
• if b < 0, one gets the familiar curve of exponential
decay (radio-activity and other applications).
 Logarithm

• Basic form: f(x) = ln x

• The logarithm is the inverse function of the
exponential: if y = ex then x = ln y. You can also
see this in the graph: if you take the graph of the
exponential and -then switch the x and y axes,
you obtain the graph of the logarithmic function.
 Logarithm
• The function has a vertical asymptote at x = 0.
For x < 0, the function is not defined (negative
numbers possess no logarithm).
• As x become larger and larger, f(x) will increase
slower and slower, as in the hyperbole. But,
unlike the hyperbole, there is no upper limit; if
you go on long enough, the function will reach
any value.
Exercise 1.
• The data of isomerization of 1-butene to 2-
butene.
T (K) 686 702 733 779 826
K 1,72 1,63 1,49 1,36 1,20

• Draw a graph to show the correlation between T

(K) and equilibrium constant, K.
Graph to demonstrate the need for a sensible
scale: (a) foolish axes (b) sensible axes
Exercise 2.
• The pressure, P, changes (increases)
concurrently with changes in the gas volume V
and the internal temperature T, according to the
data below:
• The data refer to one mole of an ideal gas. Plot
the following three graphs:

▫ Temperature, T (as y) against pressure P (as x)

▫ Temperature, T (as y) against volume, V (as x)
▫ Temperature, T (as y) against the compound
variable pressure x volume, i.e. P x V (as x)
Asymptotes
• The curve never leaves the first quadrant and
therefore never crosses either axis.
• But it does look as though the line will actually
touch the y axis at really tiny values of x and
huge values of y.
• We say the y axis is an asymptote, and the line
approaches the ordinate y-axis
asymptotically.
 Hyperbola

• Basic form: 1
f ( x) 
x
• Hyperbolas always consist of two unconnected
“branches”. However, in many applications one of
the branches (the dotted one in the graph) has no
physical meaning, and is ignored. Hyperbola always
process two asymptotes.
Hyperbola
• Hyperbolas occurring in applications are nearly
always of a more restricted subtype, the so-
called rectangular hyperbolas (meaning that the
two asymptotes make an angle of 90), with the
additional property that one asymptote is
horizontal (and, consequently, the other is
vertical).
Hyperbola
• The general form for such an hyperbola:
ax  b
f ( x) 
xd
• In fact, one does not really need four
parameters; three is sufficient:
ax
f ( x) 
xd
• In the most common application (enzyme kinetics,
microbiology, animal ecology), the hyperbola passes
through the origin. This has the consequence that b = 0.
So most hyperbolas you will see have the simple form
(with only two parameters).
Exercise 3
Consider the hyperbolic, function
ax
y 
x  d
• Prove that it passes through the origin.
• If x becomes very large (x  ), what will be the
(asymptotic) upper limit of y?
• Determine the value of x for which y assumes
half its upper limit value.
• Let a = 3 and d = 2. Sketch the hyperbola over
the range -5  x  5. Also sketch its asymptotes.
Determination of asymptote:
(1) Asymptotes which are parallel to x –axis and
y-axis
- the coefficient of x with the highest number of
power is equal to zero (asymptote parallel to x-
axis)
- the coefficient of y with the highest number of
power is equal to zero (asymptote parallel to y-
axis)
Exercise 4:
• Define the asymptotes of x2
y 
2x  3

• Answer:
y (2 x  3)  x  2
2 xy  3 y  x  2  0
(2 y  1) x  3 y  2  0

• Asymptote 1: y  0,5
• Asymptote 2: x  1,5
Determination of asymptote:
(1) Substitute y=mx +c into the equation
(2) Make the equation equal to zero (0) for two
coefficients of x with the highest number of
powers.
(3) Define m and c
Exercise 5.
• Define the asymptotes of: x2 y  5y  x3  0
• Answer:
• Substitute y=mx +c into the equation
x 2 mx  c   5mx  c   x 3  0
mx 3  cx 2  5mx  5c  x 3  0
m  1x 3  cx 2  5mx  5c  0
• Make the equation equal to zero (0) for two
coefficients of x with the highest number of
powers.
• Define m and c.

m–1=0 ; m=1
c=0 ; c=0
Asymptote 1 : y = x
Asymptote 2 : x = -2,2
Asymptote 3 : x = 2,2
Exercise 6.
• Define the asmyptotes of:
x 3  xy2  4 y 2  5  0
Sigmoidal graphs
• Sigmoidal graph has an S shape
Titration curve