Quadratics

Study Guide

Terms

Terms

Terms Terms

Axis of Symmetry

The line which divides the parabola into two symmetrical halves. In the equation for the parabola y = a(x - h) + k, the axis of symmetry is x = h.
Completing the Square

A process by which we add and subtract a constant to create a perfect square trinomial within an equation and transform the equation of the form y = ax² + bx + c into an equation of the form y = a(x - h)² + k.
Discriminant

In the quadratic equation, the expression b² - 4ac. The discriminant determines the number of solutions to a quadratic equation, or the number of x-intercepts of a quadratic function.
Parabola

The shape of the graph of y = a(x - h)² + k.

Graph of y = x²
Quadratic Equation

An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0, where a≠ 0, and a, b, and c are real numbers.
Quadratic Formula

Given a quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0, the solutions are given by the equation
x = .
Quadratic Function

A function of the form y = ax² + bx + c, where a≠ 0, and a, b, and c are real numbers.
Vertex

In the equation y = a(x - h)² + k, the point (h, k) -- the minimum point in a parabola that opens upward, or the maximum point in a parabola that opens downward.

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