Overview of Parabolas

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Taught by mrbrianmclogan
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Meets NCTM Standards:
Lesson Summary:

This lesson provides an overview of parabolas and focuses on quadratic functions, which are a special type of parabola. The general form for a quadratic equation is alpha x equals a x squared plus bx plus c, and it's important to understand that the vertex of a parabola is either the bottom or the top of the U-shaped graph. Additionally, every parabola has an axis of symmetry that runs through the vertex, and we can determine the axis of symmetry and vertex algebraically using the formula opposite of B over 2A. Overall, this lesson provides a solid foundation for understanding parabolas and quadratic functions.

Lesson Description:

Overview of Parabolas

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Questions answered by this video:
  • Where is the vertex on a parabola?
  • Where does the axis of symmetry pass through in a parabola?
  • When does a parabola open upwards?
  • When does a parabola open downwards?
  • How do you find the vertex in f(x)=ax²+bx+c?
  • How would you find the y-coordinate when you know the value of x in the vertex ?