# Plotting a graph of a square root function does not show the expected graph

New to Mathematica and have been given some assignments for practice.

I am currently trying to plot the following function:

$$|\sqrt{x-1}+5|$$

This is how other sites show what this graph should look like:

But trying to plot the same function in Mathematica gives the following unexpected graph:

That straight line coming in from the left shouldn't be there, and no matter how I try to re-organize the plot function it seems to stay.

Am I misunderstanding something? Am I using the Plot function wrong? Thanks for any help and apologies if this is a noob question!

Use RealAbs instead of Abs since Abs is a Complex function. And the Sqrt is also a Complex function, sometimes we use Surd instead of Sqrt or Power

if we assume x is a real numbers,we can use ComplexExpand to observe the expression of Abs[Sqrt[x - 1] + 5]

Abs[Sqrt[x - 1] + 5] // ComplexExpand

(*  Sqrt[(5 + ((-1 + x)^2)^(1/4) Cos[1/2 Arg[-1 + x]])^2 +
Sqrt[(-1 + x)^2] Sin[1/2 Arg[-1 + x]]^2] *)


So we had to use another way.

Plot[RealAbs[Surd[x-1,2]+5],{x,-5,5},AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}]

• Amazing comment, thanks for the help! My whole study group appreciates it. Sep 24 '20 at 2:31