My equation is y= 4(x-1)2 -6
The Significance of the Elements of a Parabola
In the equation of a parabola “a” is significant because it affects if the parabola opens upwards or downwards and also if it is narrow or thick. In my parabola, the “a” value is positive four which makes the parabola open upwards and causes it to be narrow because four is a larger number. In a parabola equation, the “h” value is significant because it causes a horizontal shift, determining how far to the left or right the parabola is. For my parabola, the “h” value is negative one which causes the parabola to move one space to the right. Lastly, the “k” value in a parabola equation is significant because it causes a vertical shift if the parabola, moving it upwards or downwards. My parabolas “k” value is negative six, which makes it shift downwards six spaces.
Self-Assessment
In this assignment, I represented the same mathematical equation in three different ways. I did this by writing out the equation, showing what the equation looks like on a graph and in words when I explained how the various parts were significant to the appearance of the equation. An example from this assignment where I used mathematical vocabulary is when I explained how the variables a, h and k affected my parabola and how they made the parabola different from the original equation. An example from this assignment where I used formatting to share information in a organized way is how I utilized headings and colour coding to clearly separate different ideas. I also adjusted the sizing of the graph to ensure that the whole graph can be easily viewed at once.