Question

Instructions: Determine the shape and direction of the parabola formed by the given function.

Answer 1

We have the parabola with equation y = 4x².

We have to determine the shape and direction of it.

If we compare it to the standard equation y = ax² + bx + c, we can see that a = 4, b = 0 and c = 0.

As the value of a is positive, the parabola will open upward.

The parameter has an absolute value greater than 1. This means that y increases "faster" relative to x that a parabola with a = 1.

This means that the parabola will be narrow about its line of symmetry which we call vertical strecth.

Answer:

Because a is positive the parabola opens upward.

Because a has an absolute value larger than 1 the parabola is narrow about its line of symmetry which we call vertical stretch.