Question

Describe the benefits of writing a quadratic equation in vertex form and the benefits of writing a quadratic equation in standard form. Name specific methods you can use while working with one form or the other.

Answer 1

Benefits of writing a quadratic equation in VERTEX FORM
(1) You can immediately identify the vertex
(2) You can see if the graph is being horizontally shifted, and if so by how much and in which direction
(3) You can see if the graph is being vertically shifted, and if so by how much and in which direction
(4) You can see if the graph is being vertically compressed or stretched
(5) You can tell whether the parabola is concave up or down

Benefits of writing a quadratic equation in STANDARD FORM
(1) You can tell whether the parabola is concave up or down
(2) You can immediately identify the y-intercept
(3) With a little factoring, or by using the quadratic formula, you can identify the x-intercepts