Name:____________________________ Date:_______________ Band:________

Algebra II | Packer Collegiate Institute

Piecewise Functions

Piecewise functions are functions made up of different “pieces.” See, for example, the following graph:

7
y
Do you see the two different parts?
6
First part equation: ____________________
5

Second part equation: __________________

4

What x-values does the first part cover?

3
(express in interval notation and in inequality form)
2

Interval: Inequality:
1

x What x-values does the second part cover?

−4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 (express in interval notation and in inequality form)
−1

Interval: Inequality:
−2

Now we have enough information to describe this piecewise function:

 ____________ for ___________

f ( x) = 
 ____________ for ___________

What this fancy equation tells us is that there are two parts to our function – and where these two parts are
“valid.”

Evaluate, using the graph: Evaluate, using the equation:

f (−2) = f (−2) =

f (−1) = f (−1) =

f (0) = f (0) =

f (1) = f (1) =

f (2) = f (2) =

1
Now that we’ve talked about piecewise functions, try this on your own:

8
y
Write the piecewise function:
7
 ____________ for ___________
6 g ( x) = 
5
 ____________ for ___________

3 Evaluate the piecewise function at the

2 following x-values:
1
x g (−6) =
−9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
−1
g (1) =
−2

−3
g (2) =
−4

−5

−6

−7

−8

Let’s do things a little differently now. I’m going to give you the piecewise function, and I want you to use it to
evaluate it at some x-values, and then graph it.

1
3 x −1 for x ≤ −3 Kai(−6) = Kai(−2.999) =

Kai( x) =  2 for -3 < x ≤ 1
 x2 Kai(−3) = Kai(−3.001) =
for x > 1

 Kai(0) = Kai(1.8) =

Kai(1) = Kai(10) =

How many pieces are there in this piecewise function? __________

When you graph the piecewise function, what will the left-most piece look like?

When you graph the piecewise function , what will the middle piece look like?

When you graph the piecewise function, what will the right-most piece look like?

2
Now to graph!

1
3 x −1 for x ≤ −3

Kai( x) =  2 for -3 < x ≤ 1
 x2 for x > 1



9 y

1
x

−9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
−1

−2

−3

−4

−5

−6

−7

−8

−9

3
Problems!

−8 for x≤5 f (−6) =


1. Let f ( x) =  0 for −5 < x < 5 Evaluate f (−5) =
 5 for x≥5
 f (21) =

g (−6) =
5 x − 9 for x < 2
2. Let g ( x) =  2
Evaluate g (3) =
4 − x for x ≥ 2
g (2) =

3-5: Write the piecewise function for the following graphs:

3. Graph Equation of the pieces Domain for the pieces Piecewise Function

4. Graph Equation of the pieces Domain for the pieces Piecewise Function

5. Graph Equation of the pieces Domain for the pieces Piecewise Function

4
6. This is the mondo-mega problem. Graph the following piecewise function:

3 x for x < −1

| x | for −1 ≤ x < 2
Ian( x) =  2
x for 2≤ x<3
 −5 x≥3
 for

10 y

1
x

−10 −9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
−1

−2

−3

−4

−5

−6

−7

−8

−9

−10

5
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