Parabolas Introduction

Front

What is a parabola?

Back

A parabola is a symmetrical, U-shaped curve that represents the graph of a quadratic function.

Front

What is the vertex of a parabola?

Back

The vertex is the highest or lowest point on the parabola, depending on its orientation.

Front

What does it mean if a parabola opens upwards?

Back

If a parabola opens upwards, it has a minimum point at its vertex.

Front

What does it mean if a parabola opens downwards?

Back

If a parabola opens downwards, it has a maximum point at its vertex.

Front

What are the x-intercepts of a parabola?

Back

The x-intercepts are the points where the parabola crosses the x-axis, also known as the zeros or roots.

Front

How can you find the number of x-intercepts of a parabola?

Back

You can find the number of x-intercepts by solving the quadratic equation for real roots.

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.

Front

What is the standard form of a quadratic function?

Back

The standard form is y = ax^2 + bx + c, where a, b, and c are constants.

Front

What is the significance of the 'a' value in the quadratic function?

Back

The 'a' value determines the direction of the parabola (upward if a > 0, downward if a < 0) and its width.

Front

What is the formula to find the vertex of a parabola in standard form?

Back

The vertex can be found using the formula x = -b/(2a).