document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=84352>Question 84352</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Find the axis of symmetry.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "	y = x^2 – x – 8\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "My answer that I got is x=1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Is that correct? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #60766 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=60766\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> There are several ways that you can find the value of x that represents the axis of symmetry.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "One of these ways is to get the quadratic equation in the form that you need to apply the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "quadratic formula.  That form is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2B+c ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2B+c\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then recognize that the axis of symmetry is determined by that term of the of the answer to<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the quadratic equation that is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-b%2F%282%2Aa%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-b%2F%282%2Aa%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In this case, by comparing the quadratic expression of the problem:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-x-8 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-x-8\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "with the standard quadratic form:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2B+c ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2+%2B+bx+%2B+c\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you can see that a = 1, b = -1, and c = -8.  Substitute the appropriate values here into:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-b%2F%282%2Aa%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-b%2F%282%2Aa%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and you get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-%28-1%29%2F%282%2A1%29+=+1%2F2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-%28-1%29%2F%282%2A1%29+=+1%2F2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the answer to this problem is that the equation for the line of symmetry is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x+=+1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x+=+1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope that this clarifies the significance of the first term in the quadratic formula:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x+=+-b%2F2a+%2B-+%28sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x+=+-b%2F2a+%2B-+%28sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It is the axis of symmetry about which the answers are equally spaced in both the + and<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the - directions.<BR>\n" );
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