document.write( "Question 652586: Hello! I am having a hard time understanding the way much of the online math resources are written. They all seem to be using a very mathematical sort of dialect (thus we can see... or to find x we need to complete a square, with no word on how one might accomplish this \"completion of a square\"), which in my opinion is counterproductive--the very people needing help with math are the very ones who won't understand the language! Anyways, that's a bit long-winded, so here's the problem:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"If a parabola opening to the left has a vertex at (-1, -3) and passes through point (-3,-2), what is the coefficient of the squared term in the parabola's equation?\" \r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #408031 by ewatrrr(24785)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
 
\n" ); document.write( "Hi,
\n" ); document.write( "Parabolas:
\n" ); document.write( "the vertex form of a Parabola opening up(a>0) or down(a<0)is: \"y=a%28x-h%29%5E2+%2Bk\"
\n" ); document.write( "where(h,k) is the vertex
\n" ); document.write( "the vertex form of a Parabola opening right(a>0) or left(a<0)is: \"x=a%28y-k%29%5E2+%2Bh\"
\n" ); document.write( " where(h,k) is the vertex
\n" ); document.write( "Question states***
\n" ); document.write( "parabola opening to the left has a vertex at (-1, -3)
\n" ); document.write( " x = a(y+3) - 1 , a <0 |Using Pt(-3,-2) to solve for a
\n" ); document.write( " -3 = a(-2 + 3)^2 - 1
\n" ); document.write( " -2 = a
\n" ); document.write( " x = -2(y+3) - 1
\n" ); document.write( "the coefficient of the squared term is -2
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