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ACT Preparation / Unit 11   ACT 1013 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Parabola

Captions available

The idea

The graph of f(x) = ax² + bx + c is a parabola, opening up when a > 0 and down when a < 0. Its turning point is the vertex, and its y-intercept is c.

In practice

f(x) = −x² + 4 opens down, with vertex (0, 4) and zeros at 2 and −2.

Where people slip

The zeros are the x-intercepts, where f(x) = 0.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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