Question

Explain the effect that "h" has on the function f(x) = a(x - h)2 + k.

Answer 1

The expression given by f(x)=a(x-h)^2+k is a the equation of a vertex where (h,k) is the vertex. The importance of h is that it represents the x-intercept, the lowest or the highest point of the graph of the expression. This is a very important factor when determining the turning points of parabolas