SOLUTION: find the equation of the parabola with vertex on the line y=x, the axis of parabola is parallel to the x-axis and passing through (6,-2)and (3,4)

Algebra ->  Quadratic-relations-and-conic-sections -> SOLUTION: find the equation of the parabola with vertex on the line y=x, the axis of parabola is parallel to the x-axis and passing through (6,-2)and (3,4)       Log On


   



Question 889601: find the equation of the parabola with vertex on the line y=x, the axis of parabola is parallel to the x-axis and passing through (6,-2)and (3,4)

Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, lwsshak3:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39625) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
highlight_green%28x=a%28y-k%29%5E2%2Bh%29, parabola parallel to the horizontal axis.

The line y=x containing the vertex means that the two coordinates of this point are equal in value.
Call this vertex (n,n).
The equation of the parabola can be expressed, highlight_green%28x=a%28y-n%29%5E2%2Bn%29.

The variables, once the given points are substituted, will be a and n. General form should give
a system of equations which we could solve for a and n.

x=a%28y%5E2-2yn%2Bn%5E2%29%2Bn
x=ay%5E2-2ayn%2Ban%5E2%2Bn
ay%5E2-2ayn%2Ban%5E2%2Bn-x=0
-
Maybe alternatively
a%28y%5E2-2yn%2Bn%5E2%29=x-n
a=%28x-n%29%2F%28y%5E2-2yn%2Bn%5E2%29, because this gives a on one side and an expression in terms of n on the other side.
Knowing that a and n are constants, any point on the parabola should give equal expressions for the member on
the right-side.

Using the two given points, those points (6,-2) and (3,4),
a=%286-n%29%2F%28%28-2%29%5E2-2%28-2%29n%2Bn%5E2%29
and
a=%283-n%29%2F%284%5E2-2%2A4%2Bn%5E2%29

The two expressions for a must be equal.
%286-n%29%2F%28%28-2%29%5E2-2%28-2%29n%2Bn%5E2%29=%283-n%29%2F%284%5E2-2%2A4%2Bn%5E2%29
%286-n%29%2F%284%2B4n%2Bn%5E2%29=%283-n%29%2F%2816-8n%2Bn%5E2%29
%286-n%29%2816-8n%2Bn%5E2%29=%283-n%29%284%2B4n%2Bn%5E2%29
96-48n%2B6n%5E2-16n%2B8n%5E2-n%5E3=12%2B12n%2B3n%5E2-4n-4n%5E2-n%5E3
96-48n-16n%2B6n%5E2%2B8n%5E2=12%2B12n-4n%2B3n%5E2-4n%5E2
96-64n%2B14n%5E2=12%2B8n-n%5E2
96-12-64n-8n%2B14n%5E2%2Bn%5E2=0
15n%5E2-72n%2B84=0, Divide this by 3;
highlight_green%285n%5E2-24n%2B28=0%29

How is the discriminant?
24%5E2-4%2A5%2A28
576-20%2A28
576-560
highlight_green%2816%29, a perfect square whole number.

Now, what can be n?
n=%2824%2B-+sqrt%2816%29%29%2F%282%2A5%29
n=%2824%2B-+4%29%2F10
Either highlight%28n=2%29 Or highlight%28n=14%2F5%29

... Still not finished. We want to use these values for n to get our value for a; probably a single (or maybe not) value. You will have to try each of the solutions for n and find out.

Answer by lwsshak3(11628) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
find the equation of the parabola with vertex on the line y=x, the axis of parabola is parallel to the x-axis and passing through (6,-2)and (3,4)
***
give data shows parabola open rightwards:
Its vertex form of equation: x=%28y-k%29%5E2%2Bh
(6,-2) 6=(-2-k)^2+h
(3,4) 3=(4-k)^2+h
..
6=4+4k+k^2+h
3=16-8k+k^2+h
subtract
3=-12+12k
12k=15
k=15/12=5/4
..
3=(4-k)^2+h
sub k
3=(4-5/4)^2+h
3=(11/4)^2+h
48/16=121/16+h
h=-121/16+48/16=-73/16
equation:x=%28y-5%2F4%29%5E2-73%2F16