Final answer:
A quadratic function can be translated horizontally by adding or subtracting a constant value to the x-values.
Step-by-step explanation:
A quadratic function is a function of the form f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c, where a, b, and c are constants. The parent quadratic function is f(x) = x^2. To find a function that is a horizontal translation of the parent function, we need to subtract or add a constant value to the x-values. Let's say we want to translate the function f(x) = x^2 to the right by 3 units. We can achieve this by replacing x with (x - 3) in the function:
f(x) = (x - 3)^2 = x^2 - 6x + 9
Here, the function f(x) = x^2 - 6x + 9 is a horizontal translation of the parent quadratic function f(x) = x^2 by 3 units to the right.