SOLUTION: Please help me with this one. Find the equation of the axis of symmetry, the coordinates of the vertex, and the coordinates of the x-intercepts, if they exist, for each parabola

Algebra ->  Quadratic Equations and Parabolas -> SOLUTION: Please help me with this one. Find the equation of the axis of symmetry, the coordinates of the vertex, and the coordinates of the x-intercepts, if they exist, for each parabola      Log On


   



Question 37646: Please help me with this one.
Find the equation of the axis of symmetry, the coordinates of the vertex, and the coordinates of the x-intercepts, if they exist, for each parabola.
1. f(x)=2x^-3x-14
Thanks very much in advance

Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Find the equation of the axis of symmetry, the coordinates of the vertex, and the coordinates of the x-intercepts, if they exist, for each parabola.
1. f(x)=2x^2-3x-14
Rewrite as y+14 = 2(x^2-(3/2)x
Complete the squareon the right side and maintain the equality, as follows:
y+14+2(3/4)^2 = 2(x^2-(3/2)x+(3/4)^2)
Simplify as follows:
y+14+9/8=2[x-(3/4)]^2
y+121/8 = 2[x-(3/4)]^2
Axis of symmetry is x=3/4
Vertex is (3/4,-121/8)
X-intercepts?
Solved by pluggable solver: SOLVE quadratic equation with variable
Quadratic equation ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 (in our case 2x%5E2%2B-3x%2B-14+=+0) has the following solutons:

x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca

For these solutions to exist, the discriminant b%5E2-4ac should not be a negative number.

First, we need to compute the discriminant b%5E2-4ac: b%5E2-4ac=%28-3%29%5E2-4%2A2%2A-14=121.

Discriminant d=121 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: +x%5B12%5D+=+%28--3%2B-sqrt%28+121+%29%29%2F2%5Ca.

x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-3%29%2Bsqrt%28+121+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+3.5
x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-3%29-sqrt%28+121+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+-2

Quadratic expression 2x%5E2%2B-3x%2B-14 can be factored:
2x%5E2%2B-3x%2B-14+=+2%28x-3.5%29%2A%28x--2%29
Again, the answer is: 3.5, -2. Here's your graph:
graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+2%2Ax%5E2%2B-3%2Ax%2B-14+%29

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Stan H.