Parts of a Parabola

A parabola is a symmetrical, U-shaped curve that represents the graph of a quadratic function.

The vertex is the highest or lowest point on the parabola, depending on its orientation.

The axis of symmetry is a vertical line that divides the parabola into two mirror-image halves, passing through the vertex.

X-intercepts are points where the parabola crosses the x-axis, meaning the y-coordinate is zero.

Y-intercepts are points where the parabola crosses the y-axis, meaning the x-coordinate is zero.

If a parabola opens upwards, it has a minimum vertex and the arms of the parabola extend upwards.

If a parabola opens downwards, it has a maximum vertex and the arms of the parabola extend downwards.

You can determine this by looking at the direction the parabola opens: upwards for minimum, downwards for maximum.

The standard form is y = ax^2 + bx + c, where a, b, and c are constants.

The 'a' value determines the direction of the parabola (upward if positive, downward if negative) and its width.