Question

What causes the graph of the parent function x squared to become a thinner parabola

Answer 1

Explanation:

The vertex form of a parabola is y = a(x-h)^2 + k.

The variable a is our stretch factor, so the larger a is, the skinnier the parabola, and the closer to zero a is, the fatter.

Look at the attachment. The wider parabola has a factor of 1/4, and the skinnier one has a factor of 2.