Drawing reciprocal graph through the origin H
"The Origin Error"
The Mistake in Action
Student draws $y = \frac{1}{x}$ passing through the origin.
Why It Happens
Students know graphs often pass through the origin and don't consider that division by zero is undefined.
The Fix
$y = \frac{1}{x}$ has asymptotes at the x-axis and y-axis.
When $x = 0$, the function is undefined (can't divide by zero).
The graph gets closer and closer to the axes but never touches or crosses them.
Draw asymptotes as dashed lines to show where the graph cannot go.
Spot the Mistake
Can you identify where this student went wrong?
Drawing $y = 1/x$
through the origin
Click on the line that contains the error.
Related Topics
Learn more about the underlying maths: