Write the equation of the parabola that passes through the points (3,0), (5,0), and (6,−12). 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 (3,0), (5,0), and (6,−12). 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 (3,0), (5,0), and (6,−12). The points (3,0) and (5,0) are the x-intercepts of the parabola, so they give us the values of p and q directly. Therefore, p=3 and q=5.
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 p=3 and q=5, we get y=a(x−3)(x−5).
Find value of a: Now we need to find the value of a. We will use the third point (6,−12) to do this. Substituting x=6 and y=−12 into the equation y=a(x−3)(x−5) gives us −12=a(6−3)(6−5).
Solve for a: Solving the equation −12=a(3)(1) to find the value of a, we get −12=3a, which means a=−12/3=−4.
Final equation of parabola: Now that we have found a=−4, we can write the final equation of the parabola. Substituting a=−4, p=3, and q=5 into y=a(x−p)(x−q), we get y=−4(x−3)(x−5).
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