13.3k views
3 votes
Determine the direction in which the graph of the following parabola opens: f(x) = 5x² - 2x - 8?

1) Opens upwards
2) Opens downwards
3) Opens to the left
4) Opens to the right

User Warly
by
8.5k points

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

The graph of the parabola f(x) = 5x² - 2x - 8 opens upwards because the coefficient of the x² term, which is 5, is positive.

The correct option is 1)

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the direction in which the graph of the parabola opens, we need to look at the coefficient of the x2 term in the quadratic equation f(x) = 5x2 - 2x - 8.

Here, the coefficient is 5, which is a positive number. In the standard form of a quadratic equation, ax2 + bx + c, if a is positive, the parabola opens upwards, and if a is negative, it opens downwards.

Since the coefficient a in our equation is positive, the graph of the parabola opens upwards. Therefore, the correct answer is 1) Opens upwards.

User Raki
by
8.3k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.