is centered on the
xy-plane and is one unit up from the origin.Assignment #2:
Exploring the Parabolas
In this assignment, we will be constructing graphs of the parabola
for different values of a, b, and c. (a, b, c can be any rational numbers).
How does a change the parabola?
In the following graph, we are going to hold b and c constant and vary a.
Click here to see what happens to the parabola.
*Notice:
When a is positive, the parabola opens upward (concave up).
When a is negative, the parabola opens downward (concave down).
As the value of a gets bigger, the more narrow the parabola becomes.
As the value of a gets smaller, the more wide the parabola becomes.
How does b change the parabola?
In the following graph, we are going to hold a and c constant and vary b.
Click here to see what happens to the parabola.
*Notice:
The graph of
is centered on the
xy-plane and is one unit up from the origin.
As b increases positively, the parabola dips lower and lower to the left.
As b decreases negatively, it dips lower to the right.
How does c change the parabola?
In the following graph, we are going to hold a and b constant and vary c.
Click here to see what happens to the parabola.
*Notice:
As the values of c increase, the parabola becomes more narrow and the vertex increases. Similarly, as c decreases, the parabola becomes more wide and the vertex decreases.