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HSF.IF.A.1Common CoreMathFunctionsGrades 9-12

HSF.IF.A.1: Understanding Functions, Domain, Range and f(x)

In plain English: HSF.IF.A.1 is the Common Core functions standard that asks students to understand what a function is: a rule that assigns each element of its domain exactly one element of its range. Students read f(x) as the output for the input x and see that the graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x). It is usually taught early in Algebra I.

Understand that a function from one set (called the domain) to another set (called the range) assigns to each element of the domain exactly one element of the range. If f is a function and x is an element of its domain, then f(x) denotes the output of f corresponding to the input x. The graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x).

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics · Domain: Interpreting Functions (IF) · Cluster: Understand the concept of a function and use function notation
Also written as HSF-IF.A.1 or F-IF.1 · Official standard

01

Lesson Plan

60-65 min

Overview

Students build the definition of a function from everyday rules and then test it in four representations: sets of ordered pairs, tables, mapping diagrams and graphs. The focus is on the two words that do the work in the definition: each input in the domain gets an output, and it gets exactly one. Students see that two inputs sharing an output is allowed, while one input with two outputs is not.

The second half introduces the notation f(x) as the name of the output that f assigns to x, and connects it to the graph: the graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x), so a point (a, b) lies on the graph exactly when f(a) = b. The vertical line test comes out of this connection rather than being memorized as a separate rule.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Decide whether a relation given as ordered pairs, a table, a mapping diagram, a graph or a verbal rule is a function, and justify the decision with the words input and output
  • Identify the domain and range of a function given as a finite set of ordered pairs or a table
  • Explain that f(x) names the output of f for the input x, and read values such as f(3) from a table, a mapping or a graph
  • Explain why a point (a, b) is on the graph of f exactly when f(a) = b, and use this to test points and to justify the vertical line test

Prior Knowledge Required

Students should already be comfortable with:

  • Understanding a function as a rule that assigns each input exactly one output 8.F.A.1
  • Evaluating expressions for given values of the variable 6.EE.A.2
  • Plotting ordered pairs in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane 6.NS.C.8
  • Reading a table of values and finding patterns in it

Lesson Procedure

60-65 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

  1. Warm-Up10 minutes

    Project a picture of a school vending machine keypad and ask students to think about the rule that links buttons to snacks before you give any definition.

    Warm-Up Prompt

    "When you press B4, the machine drops a bag of pretzels. Would the machine still work well if B4 sometimes dropped pretzels and sometimes gum? Is it a problem if B4 and C2 both drop pretzels?"

    Give students two minutes to argue in pairs. Draw out the contrast: one button that can give two different snacks makes the machine unpredictable, but two buttons that give the same snack cause no trouble. Write the buttons in one column and the snacks in another, connect them with arrows, and name the picture a mapping diagram. Tell students the buttons play the role of the domain and the snacks the role of the range.

  2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

    The definition. A function from a set called the domain to a set called the range assigns to each element of the domain exactly one element of the range. Underline both phrases: every input must get an output, and no input may get two. Show the idea in four forms: a set of ordered pairs, a table, a mapping diagram (Diagram 1) and a graph (Diagram 2).

    Notation. If the function is named f and x is in its domain, f(x), read "f of x", names the output that f assigns to x. It is not f times x. If f sends 3 to 10, we write f(3) = 10.

    The graph. The graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x): all points (x, y) with x in the domain and y = f(x). So a point (a, b) is on the graph exactly when f(a) = b. Because each x has only one y, no vertical line can meet the graph of a function in more than one point. Work through the examples below, asking students to predict each answer first.

    • Ordered pairs that form a function

      Is {(1, 4), (2, 7), (3, 4), (5, 9)} a function? Give its domain and range.

      Equation: Yes: each first coordinate appears once. Domain {1, 2, 3, 5}, range {4, 7, 9}

    • Ordered pairs that are not a function

      Is {(2, 3), (2, -1), (6, 0)} a function?

      Equation: No: the input 2 is assigned two outputs, 3 and -1

    • Reading f(x) from a table

      A function f has the table x: -2, 0, 1, 3 and f(x): 5, 1, 0, 5. Find f(0) and every x with f(x) = 5.

      Equation: f(0) = 1, and f(x) = 5 when x = -2 or x = 3

    • Testing points on a graph

      For f(x) = 2x - 3, are the points (4, 5) and (1, 1) on the graph of f?

      Equation: f(4) = 5, so (4, 5) is on the graph. f(1) = -1 ≠ 1, so (1, 1) is not

    • An equation that does not define a function

      Does the equation x = y² define y as a function of x?

      Equation: No: x = 4 gives y = 2 and y = -2, so the vertical line x = 4 meets the graph twice

    After the last example, sketch the sideways parabola x = y² and draw the vertical line x = 4: it meets the curve at (4, 2) and (4, -2). Compare it with the right side of Diagram 1, where the input 4 sends two arrows. Then use Diagram 2 to model how to read an output from a graph: start at the input on the x-axis, move vertically to the graph, then horizontally to the y-axis.

  3. Guided Practice15 minutes

    Pairs work through four relations, one representation each. For each, they write "function" or "not a function" and a one-sentence reason that uses the words input and output: (1) the pairs {(-4, 0), (0, 0), (4, 0)} (a function: every input goes to 0, so the range is {0}); (2) a table with x-values 1, 1, 2, 3 and y-values 5, 6, 7, 8 (not a function: the input 1 has outputs 5 and 6); (3) a mapping from the students in the room to their homeroom teachers (a function, since each student has one homeroom); (4) the graph of the circle with center (0, 0) and radius 5 (not a function: the vertical line x = 3 meets it at (3, 4) and (3, -4)). Then ask pairs to name the domain of relation (1). Listen for students who reject relation (1) because all its outputs are equal; correct that confusion now, using the warm-up machine.

  4. Independent Practice10-15 minutes

    Students work alone on five items: (1) state the domain and range of {(-1, 8), (2, 8), (6, -3)} (domain {-1, 2, 6}, range {-3, 8}); (2) a function r has the table x: 0, 2, 4, 6 and r(x): 9, 7, 5, 3; find r(4) (it is 5) and explain in words what r(6) = 3 says; (3) for f(x) = x + 6, decide whether (-2, 4) and (3, 10) lie on the graph ((-2, 4) does, since f(-2) = 4; (3, 10) does not, since f(3) = 9); (4) explain why y² = x + 1 does not define y as a function of x (x = 3 gives y = 2 and y = -2); (5) write your own set of four ordered pairs that is not a function, and trade with a neighbor to check.

  5. Closure5 minutes

    Exit ticket: (1) Complete the sentence "A relation is a function when ...". (2) The graph of g contains the point (7, -2). What is g(7)? (Answer: -2.) (3) A classmate says {(3, 1), (4, 1), (5, 1)} is not a function because every output is 1. Write a two-sentence reply.

Differentiation Strategies

For Struggling Students

  • Have students turn every relation into a mapping diagram before deciding, and circle any input that sends more than one arrow
  • Give a sentence frame for justifications: "The input ___ is paired with ___ and ___, so ..." or "Every input has one output, so ..."
  • Use a transparent ruler held vertically and slid across a graph as a physical vertical line test, then connect it to the pairs (a, f(a))

For Advanced Students

  • Ask students to find a rule from the set {1, 2, 3} to the set {a, b} that is a function whose range uses both letters, and to count how many functions from {1, 2, 3} to {a, b} exist (8)
  • Ask students to decide whether "each person to their biological mother" and "each person to their sibling" are functions, and to explain what would have to change for the second to become one
  • Ask students to explain why a horizontal line meeting a graph twice does not stop it from being a function, and what that property would tell them instead

Assessment Guidance

What to Look For

Listen for justifications that name a specific input: "the input 2 is paired with 3 and -1" shows understanding, while "the numbers repeat" does not. Check that students accept repeated outputs and reject repeated inputs with different outputs. When students test a point such as (1, 1) against a formula, look for them to compute f(1) and compare it with the y-coordinate, rather than substituting into the formula in an unclear way. Students who can say why the vertical line test works (each vertical line x = a contains the points with input a) have linked the graph to the definition.

02

Classroom Activities

3 Activities

1

Function or Not? Card Sort

20 minPairs

Pairs sort 12 cards into "function" and "not a function" piles. The cards use every representation in the lesson, so students must apply the same definition to ordered pairs, tables, mappings, graphs, equations and verbal rules.

The 12 Cards (answers for the teacher)

  • Card 1: {(0, 3), (1, 4), (2, 5)}: function
  • Card 2: {(5, 2), (5, 8), (6, 1)}: not a function (input 5)
  • Card 3: table with x: -1, 0, 1, 2 and y: 1, 1, 1, 1: function
  • Card 4: table with x: 3, 3, 4, 5 and y: 0, 2, 4, 6: not a function (input 3)
  • Card 5: each US state to its capital city: function
  • Card 6: each first name to a student in the school with that name: not a function when two students share a name
  • Card 7: graph of the horizontal line y = -2: function
  • Card 8: graph of the vertical line x = 1: not a function
  • Card 9: graph of the parabola y = x² - 1: function
  • Card 10: the equation y = 7 - 3x: function
  • Card 11: the equation x² + y² = 16: not a function (x = 0 gives y = 4 and y = -4)
  • Card 12: each day of September to the high temperature in your town that day: function

Procedure

  • Pairs sort the cards and write a one-line reason on the back of each card
  • For every "not a function" card, pairs must name a specific input with two outputs
  • Pairs join another pair, compare piles and resolve any disagreement using the definition

Discussion Questions

  • Card 3 has the same output four times. Why is it still a function?
  • Card 6 depends on the school. What would make it a function?
  • What do the graph cards that fail have in common?
2

Human Mapping Diagram

15 minGroups of 5-6

Students become the domain. Each group builds a physical mapping diagram on the wall with yarn and index cards and tests three rules against the definition, including one rule that fails because an input has no output.

Setup

  • Tape 12 index cards labeled January to December on the wall: this is the range side
  • Each group member writes their first name on an index card: this is the domain side
  • Give each group several lengths of yarn and masking tape for the arrows

Procedure

  • Rule 1: person to birth month. Each student tapes one piece of yarn from their name to their month. Ask: is this a function? (Yes, even if two people share a month.)
  • Rule 2: month to a person born in that month. Now the months are the domain. Ask: what happens to a month with nobody, or with two people? (It fails the definition in two ways: some inputs have no output, some have two.)
  • Rule 3: person to number of siblings. Groups decide and write the domain and range as sets

Modification for Distance Learning

Use a shared slide with name boxes and month boxes. Students draw their own arrows with the line tool, and the class decides together which rules are functions.

3

From Table to Graph and Back

20 minPairs

Pairs build the graph of f(x) = 4 - x² from a table of pairs (x, f(x)), then use the rule "(a, b) is on the graph exactly when f(a) = b" to test points and to read outputs back from the graph.

Procedure

  • Complete the table for x = -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3. (Outputs: -5, 0, 3, 4, 3, 0, -5.)
  • Plot the seven points (x, f(x)) on graph paper and join them with a smooth curve: this is the graph of y = 4 - x²
  • Test four point cards by computing f of the x-coordinate: (1, 3) is on the graph, (2, 1) is not because f(2) = 0, (-3, -5) is on the graph, (0, 3) is not because f(0) = 4
  • Find every a for which (a, 0) is on the graph, and write the answer in function notation (f(2) = 0 and f(-2) = 0)

Discussion Questions

  • Why is testing a point with the formula the same as checking the graph?
  • Slide a ruler held vertically across your graph. Why can it never cross the curve twice?
  • Two x-values give the output 3. Does that break the definition of a function?

Challenge Variation

Give pairs only the graph of a different function with no formula. Ask them to write five true statements of the form f(a) = b read from the graph, and one statement that is false, for another pair to find.

03

Diagrams & Visual Aids

2 diagrams

Diagram 1: Mapping Diagrams for a Function and a Non-Function

A function f(x) = x² on {-2, -1, 1, 2} Domain (x) Range (y) -2 -1 1 2 1 4 Not a function x = y² on {0, 1, 4} Domain (x) Range (y) 0 1 4 -2 -1 0 1 2 Each input: exactly one arrow Inputs 1 and 4: two arrows each
Left: f(x) = x² on the domain {-2, -1, 1, 2}. Each input sends exactly one arrow, even though two inputs share the output 1 and two share the output 4, so f is a function with range {1, 4}. Right: the relation x = y² on the inputs {0, 1, 4}. The inputs 1 and 4 each send two arrows (red), so y is not a function of x.

Diagram 2: Reading f(x) from the Graph of y = f(x)

-1 1 2 3 4 5 -1 2 4 6 8 (4, 5) (1, 2) (1, 4) (2, 1) y = f(x) f(x) = x² - 4x + 5 Input 4 on the x-axis, go up to the graph, then across: the output is 5. f(4) = 16 - 16 + 5 = 5, so (4, 5) is on the graph. f(1) = 1 - 4 + 5 = 2, so (1, 2) is on the graph. (1, 4) is not: its y-value is not f(1). Rule: (a, b) is on the graph of f exactly when f(a) = b. Each x has one y, so a vertical line meets the graph once.
Graph of f(x) = x² - 4x + 5 for -0.5 ≤ x ≤ 4.5, drawn to scale. The dashed path shows how to read f(4) = 5. The point (1, 2) is on the graph because f(1) = 2; the open point (1, 4) is not. Every point on the curve has the form (x, f(x)).

04

Homework Assignment

~30 min

HSF.IF.A.1 Homework: Functions, Domain, Range and Graphs

Directions: Show your reasoning. Whenever you say a relation is not a function, name a specific input and its two outputs. Write domains and ranges as sets in braces.

Part 1: Is It a Function? (Problems 1-2)

  1. Decide whether each relation is a function. If it is, give its domain and range. (a) {(-3, 2), (0, 2), (4, 2)} (b) {(5, 1), (7, 3), (5, -1)} (c) the table with x: 1, 2, 3, 4 and y: 10, 20, 10, 40
  2. Decide whether each rule is a function and explain. (a) Each student in your math class to their student ID number. (b) Each whole number of people n from 1 to 6 to the total cost, in dollars, of n movie tickets at $9 each; give the domain and range. (c) Each height in centimeters to a student in your class with that height.

Part 2: Function Notation (Problems 3-4)

  1. A function g has the table x: -1, 0, 2, 5, 6 and g(x): 3, -2, 3, 0, 8. (a) Find g(2) and g(5). (b) Find every x with g(x) = 3. (c) Explain why g(3) has no value for this function. (d) Explain the difference between g(0) and the equation g(x) = 0, and give the answer to each.
  2. Let h(x) = 5 - 2x. (a) In words, what does h(3) stand for? Find h(3) and h(-4). (b) The point (k, 9) is on the graph of h. Find k and explain how you know.

Part 3: Graphs of Functions (Problems 5-6)

  1. Let f(x) = x² - 3. Decide whether each point is on the graph of f by computing f of its x-coordinate: (2, 1), (-2, 1), (0, 3), (-1, -2). Then explain why the graph of f cannot contain both (1, -2) and (1, 5).
  2. For each equation, decide whether it defines y as a function of x. For each one that does not, give an x-value that has two or more y-values. (a) y = 3x + 1 (b) x² + y² = 36 (c) y = |x| (d) x = 2

Rubric

CriterionFull Credit (2 pts)Partial Credit (1 pt)No Credit (0 pts)
Function DecisionsEvery decision correct with a specific input namedDecisions correct, reasons vagueDecisions mostly incorrect
Domain and RangeAll sets correct, no repeated elementsOne set incorrect or incompleteSets missing or swapped
Function NotationValues and meanings of g(x) and h(x) correctValues correct, explanations incompleteNotation read as multiplication or missing
GraphsPoints tested by computing f(a) and compared correctlyMost points correctNo reasoning shown

05

Quiz: 20 Questions

Interactive, with answers

Instructions

Answer each question, then open the explanation to check your reasoning. Your score updates as you go, and Reset quiz clears every answer so the class can try again.

Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.

0 of 20 answered · 0 correct

  1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which set of ordered pairs is a function?

  2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    The relation {(4, -1), (6, 2), (9, -1), (6, 0)} is not a function. Why?

  3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    What is the domain of {(-2, 7), (0, 3), (5, 7), (8, 1)}?

  4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    What is the range of {(3, -4), (-1, 6), (2, -4), (7, 0)}?

  5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which statement is true of every function?

  6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    A function f has the table x: 1, 2, 3, 4 and f(x): 6, -2, 6, 0. What is f(3)?

  7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    For the same table (x: 1, 2, 3, 4 and f(x): 6, -2, 6, 0), which x-values give f(x) = 6?

  8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which point lies on the graph of f(x) = 4x - 7?

  9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    The point (-2, 9) lies on the graph of a function g. Which statement must be true?

  10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which equation does not define y as a function of x?

  11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    What does the statement f(5) = 12 mean?

  12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Rule A assigns each student in a school to the one locker they were given. Rule B assigns each locker color (red, blue or gray) to the students with a locker of that color. Which rules are functions?

  13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    The graph of a function f passes through (0, -1), (1, 2) and (3, 8). Which rule could define f?

  14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Let f(x) = x² - 2x. How many points on the graph of f have x-coordinate 3?

  15. Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer

    Is {(2, 8), (-5, 8), (0, 1), (2, 8)} a function? Give its domain and range.

  16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    Let k(x) = 10 - x². Find k(-3) and name the point on the graph of k with x-coordinate -3.

  17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    A relation contains the pairs (7, 2) and (7, -2). Explain why it is not a function, and describe what its graph shows.

  18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    A function p has the table x: 0, 1, 2, 3 and p(x): 5, 5, 5, 5. Is p a function? State its domain and range.

  19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Does the point (-1, 4) lie on the graph of f(x) = 2x² + 3x + 5? Show how you decide.

  20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    A parking garage bills only whole hours, at $3 per hour, for stays of 0 to 8 hours. The function P assigns each number of hours h in {0, 1, 2, ..., 8} the fee P(h) in dollars. Find P(5), state the range of P, and explain why P(2.5) has no value for this function.

0 of 20 answered · 0 correct

06

Frequently Asked Questions

10 Questions

What does HSF.IF.A.1 mean?

It means students understand the definition of a function and its notation. A function assigns each input in its domain exactly one output in its range; f(x) names the output for the input x; and the graph of f is the set of points (x, y) where y = f(x). The standard is about understanding, so students should be able to explain why a relation is or is not a function, not only recite a test.

Is HSF.IF.A.1 taught in Algebra 1 or Algebra 2?

It is usually taught at the start of the functions unit in Algebra I. Students meet the informal idea in grade 8 (8.F.A.1), and HSF.IF.A.1 adds the words domain and range and the notation f(x). Algebra II and Precalculus reuse the definition constantly, for example when they restrict domains or work with inverse functions.

Can two different inputs have the same output?

Yes. The definition only limits how many outputs each input has, not how many inputs share an output. f(x) = x² sends both 3 and -3 to 9 and is a function. What is not allowed is one input with two different outputs, such as (2, 3) and (2, -1) in the same relation.

Why does the vertical line test work?

Because the graph of f is the graph of y = f(x). The vertical line x = a contains every point whose input is a. If the line crosses the graph twice, the input a has two outputs, so the graph cannot belong to a function. Teach the test as a consequence of the definition, so students can explain it instead of only applying it.

Does f(x) mean f times x?

No. f(x) is read "f of x" and names the output of the function f for the input x. The parentheses mark the input, not multiplication. A quick classroom check is to ask what f(3) means for a table: students should point to the output in the column for 3, not multiply anything.

What is the difference between range and codomain?

The standard calls the target set the range. Many college texts split this into the codomain (the set the outputs are allowed to come from) and the range (the outputs that actually occur). In Algebra I, "range" usually means the set of outputs that actually occur, which is how this lesson uses it. For {(1, 4), (2, 7), (3, 4)} the range is {4, 7}.

Is every equation in x and y a function?

No. An equation defines y as a function of x only if each x-value gives exactly one y-value. y = 3x - 5 and y = x² do; x² + y² = 25 and x = y² do not, because, for example, x = 3 in the circle gives y = 4 and y = -4. Solving for y and seeing a ± sign is a quick warning sign.

What mistakes do students make with domain and range?

A common one is swapping them: the domain is the set of inputs (first coordinates), the range the set of outputs (second coordinates). Other frequent slips are listing repeated outputs twice in the range, and rejecting a relation as a function because an output repeats. Asking students to say "input" and "output" aloud with each set helps.

How is HSF.IF.A.1 different from 8.F.A.1?

In grade 8, a function is introduced informally as a rule that gives each input one output, with graphs as sets of ordered pairs. HSF.IF.A.1 formalizes the same idea with the named sets domain and range and with function notation f(x), and it states precisely that the graph of f is the graph of y = f(x). High school students are expected to use the vocabulary and notation fluently.

How is this standard tested?

Directly, with items that ask whether a table, mapping, set of pairs or graph represents a function, and items that ask for the domain or range of a finite relation. Indirectly, function notation and reading points from graphs appear in many later items, including the Advanced Math domain of the digital SAT. Students who can justify their answers in words tend to handle the unfamiliar formats best.