Completed Guided Notes

Notes: Vertex Form of a Quadratic Function

What is the Vertex Form of a Quadratic Equation?

y = a(x h)2 + k

Where does it come from?

Step 1: Start with the standard form of the quadratic equation

y = ax2 + bx + c
Step 2: Subtract c from both sides
y c = ax2 + bx
Step 3: Factor out a from the right hand side
y c = a(x2 + ba x)
Step 4: Divide both sides by a
yc
a
= x2 + ba x
Step 5: Complete The Square
yc b 2 b 2
a
+ ( 2a ) = x2 + ba x + ( 2a )
Step 6: Simplify the right side
yc b 2 b 2
a
+ ( 2a ) = (x + 2a )
b 2
Step 7: Subtract ( 2a ) from both sides
yc b 2 b 2
a
= (x + 2a ) ( 2a )
Step 8: Multiply both sides by a
y c = a (x + 2a b 2 b2
) 2a
Step 9: Add c to both sides
y = a (x + 2a b 2 b2
) 2a +c
Step 10: Simplify the right hand side
2
b 2
y = a(x + 2a ) + b 4a +4ac
2
REMEMBER: h= b
2a
and k= b 4a
+4ac
. Therefore, our final result is,
y = a(x h)2 + k
 and that is how the vertex form came to be.

Desmos Activity

Constant What do you think it does to the How does it affect the graph (Visually)
graph?

a
Stretches or Compresses the graph.
If a>0, then the graph will be positive.
(U-shaped graph)
If a<0, then the graph will be negative
(Upside down U-shape)

Represents a Horizontal Shift. In other

words, this moves our graph left or right.

Represents a Vertical Shift. In other

words, this moves our graph up or down.

Axis of
Symmetry Represents the line where the parabola
is divided into equal parts. In other
words, if we were to fold the parabola in
half we would have a mirror image.

Example 1: y = x2 + 4x
Step 1: Complete the Square.
y + ( 42 )2 = x2 + 4x + ( 42 )2
Step 2: Simplify right hand side
y + 4 = x2 + 4x + 4
Step 3: Simplify right hand side
y = (x + 2)2 4

a=1, h= -2, and k= -4

Vertex: (-2,-4)
Axis of Symmetry: x= -2

Example 2: y = 2x2 + 8x
Step 1: Divide everything by 2.
y 2
2 =x +4
Step 2: Complete the Square
y
2
+ ( 42 )2 = x2 + 4 + ( 42 )2
Step 3: Simplify
y
2
+ 4 = (x + 4)2
Step 4: Subtract 4 from both sides
y
2
= (x + 4)2 4
Step 5: Multiply both sides by 2
y = 2(x + 4)2 8

a=2, h= -4, and k= -8

Vertex: (-4, -8)
Axis of Symmetry: x= -4

Example 3: y = 2x2 + 12x + 10

Step 1: Divide both sides by 2
y 2
2 = x + 6x + 5
Step 2: Subtract 5 from both sides
y 2
2 5 = x + 6x
Step 3: Complete the Square
y
2
5 + ( 62 )2 = x2 + 6x + ( 62 )2
Step 4: Simplify both sides
y 2
2 + 4 = x + 6x + 9
Step 5: Simplify the right hand side
y
2
+ 4 = (x + 3)2
Step 6: Subtract 4 from both sides
y
2
= (x + 3)2 4
Step 7: Multiply both sides by 2
y = 2(x + 3)2 8

a= 2, h= -3 , and k= -8
Vertex: (-3, -8)
Axis of Symmetry: x= -3