Parameters of a Parabola

Parameters of a Parabola

Objective:
Students will come to an understanding of what the parameters A, B, and C do to a parabola when changed from their original set points.

Instructions:
To use this applet, move the parameters A, B, and C on their sliders to see what happens to the function f(x), when the parameters are different than their original set points. f(x) is the solid pink graph, while g(x) is the original x² function represented by the dotted purple line. See what how f(x) differs from g(x), which is the original function, when you change the parameters.

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Questions for Students:

1. How does the graph of f(x) differ when all parameters are increased?
2. What happens to the graph of f(x) compared to the graph g(x) when just one of the parameters is moved?
3. Does each parameter cause something different to change, or do they change the same aspects of the graph?
4. What happens when A=0? What about when A is a negative number?

Allison Noble, Created with GeoGebra