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Parabola
Questions and
Problems with
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Parabola problems with answers and

detailed solutions, at the bottom of the

page, are presented.

Questions and Problems

1. Find the x and y intercepts, the

vertex and the axis of symmetry

of the parabola with equation y = -

x 2 + 2 x + 3?

2. What are the points of

intersection of the line with

equation 2x + 3y = 7 and the

parabola with equation y = - 2 x 2 +

2 x + 5?

3. Find the points of intersection

of the two parabolas with

equation y = -(x - 3) 2 + 2 and y = x

2 - 4x + 1.

4. Find the equation the parabola y

= 2 x 2 + b x + c that passes by the

points (-1,-5) and (2,10).

5. What is the equation the

parabola with x intercepts at x = 2

and x = -3, and a y - intercept at y =

5?

6. Find the equation the parabola y

= a x 2 + b x + c that passes by the

points (0,3), (1,-4) and (-1,4).

7. Find the equation of the

parabola, with vertical axis of

symmetry, that is tangent to the

line y = 3 at x = -2 and its graph

passes by the point (0,5).

8. For what value of the slope m is

the line, with equation y = m x - 3,

tangent to the parabola with

equation y = 3 x 2 - x?

9. For what values of the

parameter b does the line with

equation y = 2 x + b cut the

parabola with equation y = - x 2 - 2

x + 1 at two points?

10. Find the equation y = a x 2 + x

of the parabola that is tangent to

the line with equation y = 3 x + 1.

11. Shift the graph of the parabola

y = x 2 by 3 unit to the left then

reflect the graph obtained on the x

axis and then shift it 4 units up.

What is the equation of the new

parabola after these

transformations?

12. What transformations are

needed to transform the graph of

the parabola y = x 2 into the graph

of the parabola y = - x 2 + 4 x + 6?

13. Write the equation of the

parabola shown in the graph

 below.

Solutions to the Above

Questions and Problems

1. Solution

The x intercepts are the

intersection of the parabola with

the x axis which are points on the

x axis and therefore their y

coordinates are equal to 0. Hence

we need to solve the equation:

0=-x2+2x+3

Factor right side of the equation: -

(x - 3)(x + 1)() = 0

x intercepts are: Solve for x: x = 3

and x = -1 ,

The y intercepts is the intersection

of the parabola with the y axis

which is a points on the y axis and

therefore its x coordinates are

equal to 0

y intercept is : y = - (0) 2 + 2 (0) + 3

=3,
The vertex is found by writing the

equation of the parabola in vertex

form y = a(x - h) 2 + k and

identifying the coordinates of the

vertex h and k.

y = - x 2 + 2 x + 3 = -( x 2 - 2 x - 3) = -

( (x - 1) 2 - 1 - 3) = -(x - 1) 2 + 4

Vertex at the point (1 , 4)

You may verify all the above points

found using the graph of y = - x 2 +

2 x + 3 shown below.
2. Solution

The points of intersection are

solutions to the simultaneous

equations 2x + 3y = 7 and y = - 2 x

2 + 2 x + 5.

Since y = - 2 x 2 + 2 x + 5 ,

substitute y by - 2 x 2 + 2 x + 5 in

the equation 2x + 3y = 7 as follows

2x + 3(- 2 x 2 + 2 x + 5) = 7

Write the quadratic equation

obtained above in standard form

-6x 2 + 8x + 8 = 0

Divide all terms of the equation by

2.

-3x 2 + 4x + 4 = 0

Solve for x

x = 2 , x = -2/3

Substitute x by the solutions above

in 2x + 3y = 7 to find y.

x = 2 , y = 1 and x = -2/3 , y = 25/9

The points of intersection are : (2 ,

1) and (-2/3 , 29/5).

Check answer graphically below.

3. Solution

The points of intersection of the

two parabolas are solutions to the

simultaneous equations y = -(x - 3)

2 + 2 and y = x 2 - 4x + 1.

-(x - 3) 2 + 2 = x 2 - 4x + 1

-2x 2 + 10 x - 8 = 0

-x 2 + 5 x - 4 = 0

Solutions: x = 1 and x = 4

Use one of the equations to find y:

x = 1 in the equation y = -(x - 3) 2 +

2 to obtain y = -(1 - 3) 2 + 2 = -2

x = 4 in the equation y = -(x - 3) 2 +

2 to obtain y = -(4 - 3) 2 + 2 = 1

Points: (1 , -2) and (4 , 1)

Check answer graphically below.

4. Solution

Points (-1,-5) and (2,10) are on the

graph of the parabola y = 2 x 2 + b

x + c, hence.

-5 = 2 (-1) 2 + b (-1) + c

10 = 2 (2) 2 + b (2) + c

Rewrite the above system in b and

c in standard form.

-b+c=-7

2b+c=2

Solve the above system of

equations to obtain: c = - 4 and b =

Equation of the parabola that

passes by the points (-1,-5) and

(2,10) is: y = 2 x 2 + b x + c = 2 x 2 +

3x-4

Use a graph plotter to check the

answer by plotting the graphs of y

= 2 x 2 + 3 x - 4 and check that the

graph passes by the points (-1,-5)

and (2,10).
5. Solution

The equation of a parabola with x

intercepts at x = 2 and x = -3 may

be written as the product of two

factors whose zeros are the x

intercepts as follows:

y = a(x - 2)(x + 3)

We now use the y intercept at (0 ,

5), which is a point through which

the parabola passes, to write:

5 = a(0 - 2)(0 + 3)

Solve for a

a=-5/6

Equation: y = (-5/6)(x - 2)(x + 3)

Graph y = (-5/6)(x - 2)(x + 3) and

check that the graph has x and y

intercepts at x = 2 , x = -3 and y = 5.

6. Solution

Points (0,3), (1,-4) and (-1,4) are on

the graph of the parabola y = a x 2

+ b x + c and are therefore

solutions to the equation of the

parabola. Hence we write the

system of 3 equations as follows:

3 = a (0) 2 + b (0) + c

- 4 = a (1) 2 + b (1) + c

4 = a (-1) 2 + b (-1) + c

c=3

Substitute c by 3 in the last tow

equations

a + b = -7
a-b=1

Solve the system in a and b

a = - 3 and b = - 4

Equation: y = a x 2 + b x + c = -3 x 2

- 4x + 3

Plot the graphs of y = -3 x 2 - 4x + 3

and check that the graph passes

through the points (0,3), (1,-4) and

(-1,4).

7. Solution

The equation of the parabola, with

vertical axis of symmetry, has the

form y = a x 2 + b x + c or in vertex

form y = a(x - h) 2 + k where the

vertex is at the point (h , k).

In this case it is tangent to a

horizontal line y = 3 at x = -2 which

means that its vertex is at the

point (h , k) = (-2 , 3). Hence the

equation of this parabola may be

writtens as:

y = a(x - h) 2 + k = a(x - (-2)) 2 + 3 =

a(x + 2) 2 + 3

Its graph passes by the point (0 ,

5). Hence

5 = a(0 + 2) 2 + 3 = 4 a + 3

Solve the above for a

a=1/2

Equation: y = (1/2)(x + 2) 2 + 3

Plot the graphs of y = (1/2)(x + 2) 2

+ 3 and check that the graph is

tangent to the horizontal line y = 3

at x = -2 and also the graph passes

through the point (0 , 5).

8. Solution

A line and a parabola are tangent if

they have one point of intersection

only , which is the point at which

they touch.

The points of intersections are

found by solving the system

y = m x - 3 and y = 3 x 2 - x

mx - 3 = 3 x 2 - x

Write as a standard quadratic

equation:

3 x 2 - x(1 + m) + 3 = 0

Discriminant: Δ = (1 + m) 2 - 4(3)

(3)

The graphs have one points of

intersection if Δ = 0 (case for une

solution of a quadratic equation)

(1 + m) 2 - 4(3)(3) = 0

Solve for m

(1 + m) 2 = 36

Solutions: m = 5 and m = -7

Use a graph plotter to check the

answer by plotting the graphs of y

= 5 x - 3 (m = 5 solution ), y = -7 x -

3 (m = 7 solution) and y = 3 x 2 - x

and check that the two lines are

tangent to the graph of the

parabola y = 3 x 2 - x.

9. Solution

The points of intersections are

found by solving the system

y = 2 x + b and y = - x 2 - 2 x + 1

2x+b=-x2-2x+1

Write as a standard quadratic

equation:

-x2-4x+1-b=0

Discriminant: Δ = (-4) 2 - 4(-1)(1 -

b)

The graphs have two points of

intersection if Δ > 0 (case for two

solution of a quadratic equation)

16 + 4 - 4 b > 0

Solve for b

b<5

Use a graph plotter to check the

answer by plotting the graphs of y

= - x 2 - 2 x + 1 and lines with

equations y = 2 x + b for values of

b > 5 , b < 5 and b = 5 to see how

many points of intersection of the

parabola and the line are there for

each of these values of b.

10. Solution

The points of intersections are

found by solving the system

y = a x 2 + x and y = 3 x + 1
3x+1=ax2+x

Write as a standard quadratic

equation:

ax2-2x-1=0

Discriminant: Δ = (-2) 2 - 4(a)(-1) =

4+4a

The graphs are tangent if they

have one point of intersection

(case for one solution of a

quadratic equation) if Δ = 0. Hence

4+4a=0

Solve for a

a = -1

Equation of parabola: y = -x 2 + x

Graph y = - x 2 + x and y = 3 x + 1 to

check the answer found above.

11. Solution

Start: y = x 2

3 units to the left: y = (x + 3) 2

reflection on the x axis: y = -(x + 3)

shift 4 units up: y = -(x + 3) 2 + 4

12. Solution

Given: y = - x 2 + 4 x + 6

Rewrite in vertex form by

completing the square: y = - x 2 + 4

x + 6 = - (x - 2) 2 + 10

Start: y = x 2
2 units to the right: y = (x - 2) 2

reflection on the x axis: y = -(x - 2) 2

shift 10 units up: y = -(x + 2) 2 + 10

13. Solution

Any points identified on the given

graph may be used to find the

equation of the parabola. However

using x, y intercepts and the vertex

are better ways to find the

equation of the parabola whose

graph is shown below.

Two method to solve the probem

are presented:

method 1:

Use the two x intrcepts at (-5 , 0)

and (-1 , 0) to write the equation of

the parabola as follows:

y = a(x + 1)(x + 5)

Use the y -intercept at (0 , -5) to

write

- 5 = a(0 + 1)(0 + 5) = 5 a

Solve for a

a = -1

Write the equation of the parabola:

y = -(x + 1)(x + 5) = - x 2 -6 x - 5

method 2:

Use the vertex at ( h , k) = (-3 , 4) to

write the equation of the parabola

in vertex form as follows:

y = a(x - h) 2 + k = a(x + 3) 2 + 4
 Use the y intercept (0 , -5) to find a.

- 5 = a(0 + 3) 2 + 4

Solve the above for a: a = -1

y = -(x + 3) 2 + 4 = - x 2 -6 x - 5

More References and links on

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College Algebra Problems With

Answers - sample 9: Equation of

Parabolas.

Parabola Problem with Solution.

Vertex and Intercepts Parabola

Problems.

Find the Points of Intersection of a

Parabola with a Line.

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