How To Sketch The Graph of a Piecewise Function

A piecewise function is a function that is defined differently on different part of its domain. One of the most common function is the absolute value function. Absolute value function is defined as

$|x|=\begin{cases}x&\text{ if } x\geq 0<img src=$ -x&\text{ if } x>0\end{cases}" border=0 align=absmiddle>

This definition tells us that if your $x$ is non-negative ( $x\geq 0$ ) use the rule $f(x)=x$ , otherwise use the rule $f(x)=-x$ .

In the video playslist below you will learn how to graph a piece wise function. You will also learn that given a graph of a piece wise function, how to construct the definition of the function itself and finally there is some tutorial how to graph a piecewise function on your calculator.