Final answer:
Increasing the value of 'c' moves the vertex of the quadratic function y = x² - c downward along the y-axis, causing the entire parabola to shift downwards while maintaining its shape.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the value of c increases in the quadratic function y = x² - c, the entire graph shifts downwards.
This is because c acts as a vertical translation of the graph. If you imagine the standard parabola y = x², which opens upwards and has its vertex (the lowest point of the curve) at the origin (0,0), increasing the value of c will move the vertex down by c units.
The shape of the graph remains the same; it's a mirror image of the curve above the x-axis, indicating this is a quadratic relationship, but it's just repositioned lower on the graph as the y-value decreases for every x.