Graphing Quadratic Equations

Front

What is a quadratic equation?

Back

A quadratic equation is a polynomial equation of degree 2, typically in the form y = ax² + bx + c, where a, b, and c are constants and a ≠ 0.

Front

What does the graph of a quadratic equation look like?

Back

The graph of a quadratic equation is a parabola, which can open either upwards or downwards depending on the sign of the coefficient 'a'.

Front

What is the vertex of a parabola?

Back

The vertex of a parabola is the highest or lowest point on the graph, depending on whether it opens downwards or upwards.

Front

How can you determine if a parabola opens up or down?

Back

If the coefficient 'a' in the quadratic equation y = ax² + bx + c is positive, the parabola opens upwards. If 'a' is negative, it opens downwards.

Front

What is the axis of symmetry in a parabola?

Back

The axis of symmetry is a vertical line that divides the parabola into two mirror-image halves. It can be found using the formula x = -b/(2a).

Front

How do you find the y-intercept of a quadratic equation?

Back

The y-intercept of a quadratic equation can be found by evaluating the equation at x = 0, which gives the point (0, c) where c is the constant term.

Front

What is the standard form of a quadratic equation?

Back

The standard form of a quadratic equation is y = ax² + bx + c.

Front

What is the vertex form of a quadratic equation?

Back

The vertex form of a quadratic equation is y = a(x - h)² + k, where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola.

Front

How do you convert from standard form to vertex form?

Back

To convert from standard form to vertex form, you can complete the square.

Front

What is the significance of the discriminant in a quadratic equation?

Back

The discriminant (D = b² - 4ac) determines the nature of the roots of the quadratic equation: if D > 0, there are two distinct real roots; if D = 0, there is one real root; if D < 0, there are no real roots.