Quadratics Lab P. 2

i. We will first investigate the impact of a on the equation. 1 Graph the equations y = x2 , y = 3x2, and y = 6x2 on the same set of axes. Label their axes of symmetry and their vertices. Consider the width of the parabolas. How does changing the value of a appear to affect these graphs?

2, Graph the equations y = x2, y = .5x2, y = .01x2 on the same set of axes Label the axes of symmetry and their vertices. Consider the width of the parabolas. How does changing the value of a appear to affect these graphs?

3, Graph the equations y = -x2 , y = -2x2 } y = _4X2 ; an(j y = -.5x2 on the same set of axes. Label their axes of symmetry and their vertices. Consider their width and whether they open up or down. How does changing the sign of a appear to affect these graphs?

V 4. We can now generalize about the effect of a on the parabola y = ax2 . Using the data obtained above, and the parabola y = x2 as your basis for comparison, describe the parabola y = ax2 if: 1.) a > l

2.) 0 < a < l 3.) - K a < 0 4.) a < - l