Write the equation of the parabola that passes through the points (−3,24), (−2,0), and (3,0). Write your answer in the form y=a(x−p)(x−q), where a, p, and q are integers, decimals, or simplified fractions.
Q. Write the equation of the parabola that passes through the points (−3,24), (−2,0), and (3,0). Write your answer in the form y=a(x−p)(x−q), where a, p, and q are integers, decimals, or simplified fractions.
Identify x-intercepts: We have the points (−3,24), (−2,0), and (3,0). The points (−2,0) and (3,0) are the x-intercepts of the parabola, so they give us the values of p and q directly. Therefore, p=−2 and q=3.
Write parabola equation: Using the values of p and q, we can write the equation of the parabola in the form y=a(x−p)(x−q). Substituting −2 for p and 3 for q, we get y=a(x+2)(x−3).
Find value of a: Now we need to find the value of a. We can use the point (−3,24) to do this. Substituting −3 for x and 24 for y into the equation y=a(x+2)(x−3), we get 24=a(−3+2)(−3−3).
Solve for a: Solving the equation 24=a(−1)(−6), we find that 24=6a, which means that a=624=4.
Final equation of parabola: Now that we have found a=4, we can write the final equation of the parabola. Substituting 4 for a, −2 for p, and 3 for q into the equation y=a(x−p)(x−q), we get y=4(x+2)(x−3).
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