Chapter 2 Direct and Inverse Variation Graphs
This will help identify direct and inverse variations.
In the left column, click on the red circle to hide the red graphs.
At this point, you should only see the blue line.
Use the slider to answer the following questions:
1. As you move the slider, what do you notice happens to the blue line?
2. What if you make the m value bigger? How does that compare to if the m value is a smaller positive number?
3. What if you make the m value negative? Compare and contrast the negative m values and the positive m-values. What is the same? What is different?
4. What part of the graph never changes when the m-value changes? Why?
5. Make the m-value zero. What happens to the graph? What are your theories about why that might happen?
Click on the red circle and the blue circle. At this point only the red graph should be showing.
Use the slider to answer the following questions:
6. First let's look at positive m-values. As you move the slider to make the m-value smaller and bigger, what happens to the graph?
7. Move the slider to a negative value. What happened to the graph when going from positive to negative values?
8. Move the slider to make bigger and smaller negative values. What happens to the graph? Compare what happens to the graph with positive and negative values when you change the values ?
9. Make the m-value zero. What happens to the graph? What are your theories about why that might happen?
10. What part of the graph never changes when the m-value changes? Why do you think that might happen?
Click on the blue circle. Both graphs should be showing.
10. Move the slider around. Discuss the similarities and differences of both graphs when the m-values are positive, negative, zero, bigger, smaller.