Download Article Show Download Article A parabola is a graph of a quadratic function and it's a smooth "U" shaped curve. Parabolas are also symmetrical which means they can be folded along a line so that all of the points on one side of the fold line coincide with the corresponding points on the other side of the fold line. The fold line, called the axis of symmetry, is the vertical line that goes through the vertex.[1] Any point on the parabola is equidistant from a fixed point (the focus) and a fixed straight line (the directrix). In order to graph a parabola, you need to find its vertex as well as several points on either side of the vertex in order to mark the path that the points travel.
Advertisement If you want a shortcut for shifting a parabola without having to find its vertex again and re-plotting several points on it, you'll need to understand how to read the equation of a parabola and learn to shift it vertically or horizontally. Start with the basic parabola: y = x2. This has its vertex at (0, 0) and opens upward. Points on it include (-1, 1), (1, 1), (-2, 4), and (2, 4). You can shift a parabola based on its equation. [11]
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ReferencesAbout This ArticleArticle SummaryX To graph a parabola, use the coefficient a and coefficient b values from your parabolic equation in the formula x = -b ÷ 2a to solve for x, which is the first coordinate of the vertex. Next, plug x back into your equation to solve for y, which is the second coordinate of the vertex. You can then create a table by using different values for x and calculating y in your equation to get a set of coordinates. Plot these coordinates on a plane and draw your parabola! To learn how to shift the graph of your parabola, read on! Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 279,134 times. Reader Success Stories
Did this article help you?How do you plot points on a parabola?To draw a parabola graph, we have to first find the vertex for the given equation. This can be done by using x=-b/2a and y = f(-b/2a). Plotting the graph, when the quadratic equation is given in the form of f(x) = a(x-h)2 + k, where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola, is its vertex form.
What are the 5 parts of a parabola?The most important parts of the parabolas are the focus, the directrix, the vertex, the axis, the latus rectum, and the focal length.
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