ACT Math · Function notation and transformations
If f(x) = √(x) and g(x) = x - 5, what is the domain of f(g(x))?
If and , what is the domain of ?
Answer and explanation
Answer: B: x ≥ 5
Form the composition: . The expression under the radical must be non-negative: , so , choice B. Check: at the value is , and at it would be , which is not real. Choice A () applies the radical restriction to instead of to , forgetting the shift by . Choice C () reverses the inequality. Choice D (all real numbers) is the domain of alone, ignoring the square root.
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