KEY

Analyzing Parametric Graphs

Part 1
This is what the graph should look like:

Questions:
1. Look at the x(t) graph (the one you used to fill out the first table). Find the t-intercepts of
that graph (where the graph crosses the horizontal t-axis).
They occur at t = -5.2, t = -2, t = 0, t = 4.5
a. Highlight where those t-value points end up on your x-y graph (the one you made)
b. What do you notice about those points? What did they turn into? Why does this
make sense?
They match up with the y-intercepts on the x-y graph.
This makes sense because if they are on the horizontal
axis from the x(t) graph, then the x value must have been
equal to 0. If x = 0, we end up with a y-intercept on the
x-y graph. The y-value of these y-intercepts is
determined by looking at the corresponding t-values on
the y(t) graph and finding those y-values (y = 21, y = -5.4,
y = 0, y = -13)

2. Look at the y(t) graph (the one you used to fill out the second table). Find the t-intercepts of
that graph (where the graph crosses the horizontal t-axis).
They occur at t = -3.5, t = 0, t = 3.4
a. Highlight (in a different color) where those t-value points end up on your x-y graph
(the one you made)
b. What do you notice about those points? What did they turn into? Why does this
make sense?
They match up with the x-intercepts on the x-y graph.
This makes sense because if they are on the horizontal
axis from the y(t) graph, then the y value must have been
equal to 0. If y = 0, we end up with an x-intercept on the
x-y graph. The x-value of these x-intercepts is
determined by looking at the corresponding t-values on
the x(t) graph and finding those x-values (x = -3.1, x = 0, x
= -8.1)
3. Look at the x(t) graph again (the one you used to fill out the first table). Find the t-values
for the local maximums & minimums.
They occur at t = -4, t = -1, t = 3
a. Highlight (in a different color) where those points end up on your x-y graph (the one
you made)
b. What do you notice about those points? What did they turn into? Why does this
make sense?
They match up with the points where the graph changes
direction horizontally, from right-to-left or left-to-right.
This makes sense because if the x(t) graph has a local
maximum, this means the x-values were increasing and
then began to decrease. When the x-values go from
increasing to decreasing on the x-y graph, it means the
graph was moving right (increasing) and then moved left
(decreasing).
If the x(t) graph has a local minimum, this means the xvalues were decreasing and then began to increase.
When the x-values go from decreasing to increasing on

the x-y graph, it means the graph was moving left

(decreasing) and then moved right (increasing).
4. Look at the y(t) graph again (the one you used to fill out the second table). Find the t-values
for the local maximums & minimums.
They occur at t = -2, t = 2
a. Highlight (in a different color) where those points end up on your x-y graph (the one
you made)
b. What do you notice about those points? What did they turn into? Why does this
make sense?
They match up with the points where the graph changes
direction vertically, causing local maximum or minimum
points (the graph changes up-to-down or down-to-up).
This makes sense because if the y(t) graph has a local
maximum, this means the y-values were increasing and
then began to decrease. When the y-values go from
increasing to decreasing on the x-y graph, it means the
graph was moving up (increasing) and then moved down
(decreasing).
If the y(t) graph has a local minimum, this means the yvalues were decreasing and then began to increase.
When the y-values go from decreasing to increasing on
the x-y graph, it means the graph was moving down
(decreasing) and then moved up (increasing).