Thread: Factoring a quadratic equation

Originally Posted by Siron

Ok, then what you wright is good enough.

Thanks Siron, much appreciated, everything I am doing is a new learning curve for me.

I have a new question.

A parabola is U shaped. My understanding is that this U shape is +
The parabola has axis of symmetry x = 0
The parabola has y intercept (0, - 2)
The points (2, 0) lies on the parabola

I am asked to find the equation, which I think I got it right here;

y = 1/2 x^2 - 2
y = 1/2 x 4 - 2
y = 0

How am I doing?

looks good.
Check:
Does the parabola goes through the points and : yes!

Originally Posted by Siron

looks good.
Check:
Does the parabola goes through the points and : yes!

I have only scetched it by hand, the parabola goes through 2 and - 2, but I am not understanding y = 0 at the moment, x = 0 and y = 0 not fully understood at the moment?

please explain it if you can?

Okay, for example. Can you determine where the point lies ...? On the x-axis? On the y-axis? Why? ...

Originally Posted by Siron

Okay, for example. Can you determine where the point lies ...? On the x-axis? On the y-axis? Why? ...

Not to sure what you mean?

(0, 2) means 0 = x axis and 2 = y axis, I don't understand anymore at the moment?

Okay, 0 we call the x-coordinate and 2 we call the y-coordinate. Can you be more clear about what you don't understand about , , ...
The (straight) lines:
: y-axis
: x-axis

@David:

Do you understand it now? Or? ...

we did not talk about it. because its very long question. sorry.

Originally Posted by grouponclonescript

we did not talk about it. because its very long question. sorry.

What do you mean? ...

Originally Posted by Siron

@David:

Do you understand it now? Or? ...

Siron, I will need to read up and ask questions I think?

I am not sure how to interpret what is being said, suppose I had a graph y = x^2 - 3x - 10, then suppose that the graph is a + parabola, y is the intercept where it crosses or touches the y axis, but that is it is a value of y when x = 0, but then the x intercepts are - 2, 5, y intercept is - 10.

So the graph is such that the parabola is drawn from the second quadrant down crosses the x axis at -2 then passes through the third quadrant then crosses the y axis at - 10, then turns and goes up through the fourth quadrant cutting the x axis at 5, then entering the first quadrant to finish.

Thats a lot of information to try and understand how x = 0 and y = 0, I don't understand how they relate together?