Understanding Asymptotes
At the 5:20 mark of this video, the instructor calculates f(1.9) to equal 4000. The correct value of f(1.9) is -4000.
In this lesson, you will learn about asymptotes and why they approach certain values, but never actually reach them. Through calculations and examples, the instructor demonstrates how functions approach a number, but never quite get there, and compares it to the idea of continually cutting a dollar bill in half to get smaller and smaller amounts of money. This understanding of asymptotes is crucial for plotting accurate graphs and understanding the behavior of functions.
Understanding asymptotes
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- How do functions with horizontal asymptotes behave as the input value gets very large?
- How do functions with vertical asymptotes behave as the input value gets very close to the vertical asymptote?
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Staff Review
The instructor calculates several function values to demonstrate how a function with vertical asymptotes behaves when the input value gets larger and larger. He also calculates several function values to demonstrate how a function behaves when the input value gets closer and closer to the vertical asymptote.
