mathwithhotti

Sometimes we will encounter a problem that just looks ugly.  In other words, it is one of those problems we just would rather skip.  However, as you will see in this problem, substituting a quantity for a single variable really does make the problem much more manageable.

Here is another example of graphing a quadratic equation that is in vertex form.  In this example, a is negative which causes the graph to open down and frown:-(

Graphing a quadratic equation is not a difficult task.  Here are the main things to find:  the vertex, the axis of symmetry, the y-intercept, and the x-intercepts.  Use the fact that a parabola is symmetrical also makes it easier for us to find additional points.

Here is a bit of fun I had with one of my Alg II classes reviewing the quadratic formula.

Here is another example of solving a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula.