Enter a problem...
Precalculus Examples
Step 1
Step 1.1
Isolate to the left side of the equation.
Step 1.1.1
Rewrite the equation as .
Step 1.1.2
Divide each term in by and simplify.
Step 1.1.2.1
Divide each term in by .
Step 1.1.2.2
Simplify the left side.
Step 1.1.2.2.1
Cancel the common factor of .
Step 1.1.2.2.1.1
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.1.2.2.1.2
Divide by .
Step 1.1.3
Subtract from both sides of the equation.
Step 1.1.4
Reorder terms.
Step 1.2
Complete the square for .
Step 1.2.1
Simplify the expression.
Step 1.2.1.1
Simplify each term.
Step 1.2.1.1.1
Rewrite as .
Step 1.2.1.1.2
Expand using the FOIL Method.
Step 1.2.1.1.2.1
Apply the distributive property.
Step 1.2.1.1.2.2
Apply the distributive property.
Step 1.2.1.1.2.3
Apply the distributive property.
Step 1.2.1.1.3
Simplify and combine like terms.
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1
Simplify each term.
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1.1
Multiply by .
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1.2
Move to the left of .
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1.3
Rewrite as .
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1.4
Rewrite as .
Step 1.2.1.1.3.1.5
Multiply by .
Step 1.2.1.1.3.2
Subtract from .
Step 1.2.1.1.4
Apply the distributive property.
Step 1.2.1.1.5
Simplify.
Step 1.2.1.1.5.1
Combine and .
Step 1.2.1.1.5.2
Cancel the common factor of .
Step 1.2.1.1.5.2.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.1.1.5.2.2
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.1.1.5.2.3
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.2.1.1.5.2.4
Rewrite the expression.
Step 1.2.1.1.5.3
Combine and .
Step 1.2.1.1.5.4
Multiply by .
Step 1.2.1.2
To write as a fraction with a common denominator, multiply by .
Step 1.2.1.3
Combine and .
Step 1.2.1.4
Combine the numerators over the common denominator.
Step 1.2.1.5
Simplify the numerator.
Step 1.2.1.5.1
Multiply by .
Step 1.2.1.5.2
Subtract from .
Step 1.2.1.6
Move the negative in front of the fraction.
Step 1.2.2
Use the form , to find the values of , , and .
Step 1.2.3
Consider the vertex form of a parabola.
Step 1.2.4
Find the value of using the formula .
Step 1.2.4.1
Substitute the values of and into the formula .
Step 1.2.4.2
Simplify the right side.
Step 1.2.4.2.1
Multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.
Step 1.2.4.2.2
Combine and .
Step 1.2.4.2.3
Cancel the common factor of and .
Step 1.2.4.2.3.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.4.2.3.2
Cancel the common factors.
Step 1.2.4.2.3.2.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.4.2.3.2.2
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.2.4.2.3.2.3
Rewrite the expression.
Step 1.2.4.2.4
Multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.
Step 1.2.4.2.5
Cancel the common factor of .
Step 1.2.4.2.5.1
Move the leading negative in into the numerator.
Step 1.2.4.2.5.2
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.4.2.5.3
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.2.4.2.5.4
Rewrite the expression.
Step 1.2.5
Find the value of using the formula .
Step 1.2.5.1
Substitute the values of , and into the formula .
Step 1.2.5.2
Simplify the right side.
Step 1.2.5.2.1
Simplify each term.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1
Simplify the numerator.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.1
Apply the product rule to .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.2
Raise to the power of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.3
Apply the product rule to .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.4
One to any power is one.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.5
Raise to the power of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.1.6
Multiply by .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.2
Combine and .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3
Cancel the common factor of and .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3.2
Cancel the common factors.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3.2.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3.2.2
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.3.2.3
Rewrite the expression.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.4
Multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.5
Cancel the common factor of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.5.1
Factor out of .
Step 1.2.5.2.1.5.2
Cancel the common factor.
Step 1.2.5.2.1.5.3
Rewrite the expression.
Step 1.2.5.2.2
Combine the numerators over the common denominator.
Step 1.2.5.2.3
Subtract from .
Step 1.2.5.2.4
Divide by .
Step 1.2.6
Substitute the values of , , and into the vertex form .
Step 1.3
Set equal to the new right side.
Step 2
Use the vertex form, , to determine the values of , , and .
Step 3
Since the value of is positive, the parabola opens right.
Opens Right
Step 4
Find the vertex .
Step 5
Step 5.1
Find the distance from the vertex to a focus of the parabola by using the following formula.
Step 5.2
Substitute the value of into the formula.
Step 5.3
Simplify.
Step 5.3.1
Combine and .
Step 5.3.2
Cancel the common factor of and .
Step 5.3.2.1
Factor out of .
Step 5.3.2.2
Cancel the common factors.
Step 5.3.2.2.1
Factor out of .
Step 5.3.2.2.2
Cancel the common factor.
Step 5.3.2.2.3
Rewrite the expression.
Step 5.3.3
Multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.
Step 5.3.4
Multiply by .
Step 6
Step 6.1
The focus of a parabola can be found by adding to the x-coordinate if the parabola opens left or right.
Step 6.2
Substitute the known values of , , and into the formula and simplify.
Step 7
Find the axis of symmetry by finding the line that passes through the vertex and the focus.
Step 8
Step 8.1
The directrix of a parabola is the vertical line found by subtracting from the x-coordinate of the vertex if the parabola opens left or right.
Step 8.2
Substitute the known values of and into the formula and simplify.
Step 9
Use the properties of the parabola to analyze and graph the parabola.
Direction: Opens Right
Vertex:
Focus:
Axis of Symmetry:
Directrix:
Step 10