Question

How do you identify the roots of a parabola on a graph?

Answer 1

Step 1:

Find the vertex. Since the equation is in vertex form, the vertex will be at the point (h, k).

Step 2:

Find the y-intercept. To find the y-intercept let x = 0 and solve for y.

Step 3:

Find the x-intercept(s). To find the x-intercept let y = 0 and solve for x. You can solve for x by using the square root principle or the quadratic formula (if you simplify the problem into the correct form).

Step 4:

Graph the parabola using the points found in steps 1 – 3.

Explanation: