document.write( "Question 91110: Find y-intercept and vertex y = x^2 - 3x - 4 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #66134 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
To find the y-intercept, plug in x=0\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Lets find the value of y when \"x=0\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=x%5E2-3x-4\" Start with the given polynomial\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=%280%29%5E2-3%280%29-4\" Plug in \"x=0\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=%280%29-3%280%29-4\" Raise 0 to the second power to get 0\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=%280%29-0-4\" Multiply 3 by 0 to get 0\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=-4\" Remove any zero terms\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So when \"x=0\", \"y=-4\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the y-intercept is (0,-4)\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "---------------------------------------------\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To determine the x-value of the vertex, use this formula\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=-b%2F%282a%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "From the equation \"y=x%5E2-3x-4\" we can see that a=1 and b=-3\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=%28--3%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Plug in b=-3 and a=1\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=3%2F%282%2A1%29\" Negate -3 to get 3\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=%283%29%2F2\" Multiply 2 and 1 to get 2\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=3%2F2\" Reduce\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the x-coordinate of the vertex is \"x=3%2F2\" (which is \"x=1.5\" in decimal form). Lets plug this into the equation to find the y-coordinate of the vertex.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Lets evaluate \"f%281.5%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"f%28x%29=x%5E2-3x-4\" Start with the given polynomial\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"f%281.5%29=%281.5%29%5E2-3%281.5%29-4\" Plug in \"x=1.5\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"f%281.5%29=2.25-3%281.5%29-4\" Raise 1.5 to the second power to get 2.25\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"f%281.5%29=2.25-4.5-4\" Multiply -3 and 1.5 to get -4.5\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"f%281.5%29=-6.25\" Now combine like terms\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the vertex is (1.5,-6.25)\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Here is a graph to see the vertex and y-intercept \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"+graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+x%5E2-3x-4%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );