Determine if the relation y=4x−1

y
=
4
x

1
is a function by first graphing the relation, then applying the vertical line test. Enter 1 if the relation is a function. Enter 2 if the relation is not a function

1 answer

To determine if the relation \( y = 4x - 1 \) is a function, we start by recognizing that this equation represents a linear function in slope-intercept form, where \( m = 4 \) is the slope and \( b = -1 \) is the y-intercept.

  1. Graphing the Relation: The graph of \( y = 4x - 1 \) will be a straight line that passes through the point (0, -1) (the y-intercept) and will have a slope of 4, meaning it rises 4 units for every 1 unit it moves to the right.

  2. Vertical Line Test: To apply the vertical line test, you can imagine drawing vertical lines (or actually draw vertical lines) at various values of \( x \) on the graph. If any vertical line intersects the graph at more than one point, then the relation is not a function.

In this case, since \( y = 4x - 1 \) is a straight line, any vertical line will intersect the graph at exactly one point. Therefore, it passes the vertical line test.

Since the relation meets the criteria for being a function, the answer is 1 (indicating that it is a function).