Question

Respond to the following question with either a TRUE or FALSE: "The following parabola opens down: f (x) = -x2 + 5"

Answer 1

Answer: A) True because the leading coefficient is negative

Explanation:

The leading term is -x^2 since this term has the largest exponent.

The leading coefficient is -1 as it's the coefficient of the leading term.

It might help to write -x^2 as -1x^2

The negative leading coefficient makes the parabola open downward, so each endpoint goes off to negative infinity. The graph looks like a frowny face. You can think of a negative emotion going with a frowny face, so that negative emotion matches with the negative leading coefficient. There are probably other ways to remember but that's the trick I use.