| Parabolas |
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JUST THE FACTS:
| Quadratic Equation |
A quadratic equation (in x and y) is in standard form when it is written as: y = ax2
+ bx + c, where a not
=
0 |
| Parabola |
Every quadratic equation has a u-shaped graph, called a parabola. If the leading coefficient (the "a" in ax2) is postive, the parabola opens up. If the leading coefficient is negative, the parabola opens down.
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| Vertex of a parabola | The vertex has an x-coordinate of:
To find the y-coordinate, just plug the x value into the quadratic equation and solve for y.
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| Axis of Symmetry |
The VERTICAL line passing through the vertex is called the axis of symmetry. The equation for this line is:
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