Linear Functions vs Nonlinear Functions

This worksheet helps students to connect graphs and equations and distinguish linear functions from nonlinear functions. The aim is to understand that the equation y = mx + b defines a linear function, whose graph is a straight line. This is for common core course 8.F.A.3.

How to use: The first three pages have 6 graphs and a box at the bottom of the page. Students should pick equations from the box and connect them to the right graph. After that, they have to decide whether the graph-equation pair is a linear function.

After that, there is a page of concept understanding, where students have to give verbal answers to the following questions: What do linear functions look like in a coordinate plane? Can you think of any situation when a straight line in a coordinate plane is not a function? Give three examples of equations of linear functions. Give two examples of equations of nonlinear functions.

Along obviously linear and nonlinear functions, there is a task where the function is piecewise linear. (The students are supposed to answer that it's not linear, and in the answers section the concept of piecewise linear is explained.)

There are 4 task pages and 2 answer pages in this resource.