0
A parabola that opens downwards has a maximum at its vertex. One way to find it is to take the derivative of the parabola's equation (for y = x2, for example, this is y = 2x), set that to zero, and solve (2x = 0; x = 0). This works because the only horizontal tangent line of a parabola is at its vertex.
Please note that WikiAnswers is not here to do your homework for you. If this question is from work you have been assigned by a teacher or professor, I suggest you do the work yourself instead, which will help to increase your understanding of the subject matter and help you to become more familiar with it.
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Blake
Vivi
EzraAdd your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the extreme point of the parabola?
It is either a maximum or minimum value depending on its downwards shape or its upwards shape
How can a quadratic function have both a maximum and a minimum point?
A quadratic function can only have either a maximum or a minimum point, not both. The shape of the graph, which is a parabola, determines this: if the parabola opens upwards (the coefficient of the (x^2) term is positive), it has a minimum point; if it opens downwards (the coefficient is negative), it has a maximum point. Therefore, a quadratic function cannot exhibit both extreme values simultaneously.
What is the optical property of a parabola?
"Any light beam moving vertically downwards in the concavity of the parabola (parallel to the axis of symmetry) will bounce off the parabola moving directly towards the focus." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabola
How do you make a parabola graph downwards if you can't change the vertex?
Change it from positive to negative
What is maximum or minimum of a parabola depending on whether the parabola opens up or down?
Vertex
