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See solution.
Let's begin by drawing a graph of a line that slants up and one of a line that slants down.
Now we can compare and contrast their key features!
First we will look at some key features where lines that slant up and lines that slant down are similar.
| Key Feature | Slant Up | Slant Down |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | All real numbers | All real numbers |
| Range | All real numbers | All real numbers |
| Has x-intercept? | Yes | Yes |
| Has y-intercept? | Yes | Yes |
| Function value at the x-intercept | 0 | 0 |
| Has maximum or minimum? | No | No |
Now let's look at the differences. First we will study what happens as we move left on the graphs.
When we move to the left on a line slanting up we also move downwards. Moving to the left on a line that slants down will also make us move upwards. Next we will look at the graphs as we move right.
When we move to the right on a line slanting up, we at the same time move up. When we move to the right on a line slanting down we also move down. Another way to express this is that a line that slants up increases and that a line that slants down decreases across its entire domain. Let's study the values the function takes to the left and to the right of the x-intercept.
To the left of the x-intercept on a line that slants up it is negative, and a line that slants down is positive. To the right of the x-intercept it is the other way around. A line that slants up is there is positive, whereas a line that slants down is negative. Let's summarize the differences in a table.
| Key Feature | Slant Up | Slant Down |
|---|---|---|
| Direction as we move left | Down | Up |
| Direction as we move right | Up | Down |
| Increasing or decreasing | Increasing | Decreasing |
| Function values left of the x-intercept | Negative | Positive |
| Function values right of the x-intercept | Positive | Negative |