PARABOLAS

Understanding Parabolas
A parabola is a conic section. The following two plots are examples of parabolas:
or
Parabolas have the property that when transformed (stretched/compressed) along a direction
parallel or perpendicular to its axis, the curve remains a parabola. (For example, a line also has
this property, but a circle does not. If a line is stretched or compressed, it retains its shape; a
circle does not.)
Any function of the form
2
) ( ) ( h x a x f = +k is in the square family because it is a transformation
of
2
) ( x x f = . The graph of any function in the square family is called a parabola. Therefore, the
graph of any quadratic function is a parabola.
Opening and Vertex of a Parabola
There are two forms of the quadratic function, where one form is k h x a x f + =
2
) ( ) ( and the
other form is c bx ax x f + + =
2
) ( . If 0 > a , the graph of k h x a x f + =
2
) ( ) ( opens upward; if
0 < a , the graph opens downward. This rule is illustrated by the above 2 plots.
We can find the vertex of the parabola when the function is written in either form.
- For a quadratic function in the form k h x a x f + =
2
) ( ) ( , the vertex of the parabola is
) , ( k h .
- For the form c bx ax x f + + =
2
) ( , the x-coordinate of the vertex is
a
b
2

and the y-
coordinate of the vertex is
|
.
|

\
|
a
b
f
2
.
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Example: Find the vertex for each parabola: 8 ) 4 ( 2 ) (
2
+ = x x f and 9 4 2 ) (
2
= x x x f .
Solution 1: For 8 ) 4 ( 2 ) (
2
+ = x x f :
The parabola follows k h x a x f + =
2
) ( ) ( , so the vertex is ) 8 , 4 ( ) , ( = k h
.

Solution 2: For 9 4 2 ) (
2
= x x x f :
The parabola follows c bx ax x f + + =
2
) ( , so the x-coordinate of the vertex is
1
4
4
2
= =

a
b
and the y-coordinate is ( ) 11 9 ) 1 ( 4 ) 1 ( 2 1
2
2
= = =
|
.
|

\
|
f
a
b
f
. So the
vertex is ) 11 , 1 ( .
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Intercepts
The x- and y-intercepts are important points on the graph of a parabola. The y-intercept(s) are
easily found by letting 0 = x . The x-intercept(s) are found by letting 0 = y and solving the
resulting equation.
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Example: Find the y-intercept(s) and the x-intercept(s) for the parabolas 8 ) 4 ( 2 ) (
2
+ = x x f
and 9 4 2 ) (
2
= x x x f .
Solution 1: For 8 ) 4 ( 2 ) (
2
+ = x x f :
If 0 = x , then 40 8 ) 4 0 ( 2
2
= + = y . The y-intercept is ) 40 , 0 ( .
There are no x-intercepts. Since 0 < a , the parabola opens downward and from our
vertex example above, our vertex is ) 8 , 4 ( , which is below the x-axis. (If we set 0 = y
and solve for x, we get
2
) 4 ( 4 + = x , which has no real solution.)
Solution 2: For 9 4 2 ) (
2
= x x x f :
If 0 = x , then 9 9 ) 0 ( 4 ) 0 ( 2
2
= = y . The y-intercept is ) 9 , 0 ( .
Since 0 > a , the parabola opens upward and from our vertex example above, our vertex
is ) 11 , 1 ( , which is below the x-axis. Set 0 = y and solve for x: 9 4 2 0
2
= x x
Using the quadratic equation,
2
22 2
4
88 4
) 2 ( 2
) 9 )( 2 ( 4 ) 4 ( 4
2
4
2 2

=

=

=
a
ac b b
x

Therefore, the x-intercepts are
|
|
.
|

\
|

0 ,
2
22 2
and
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
0 ,
2
22 2
.
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