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When graphing a parabolic equation, what steps do you take? How do you tell if the arc opens up or down?

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This provides explanation of how to graph a parabola, including opening direction.

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Graphing Parabolas

If you take the general form of a quadratic equation, ax² + bx + c, then in order to determine if the parabola opens up or down, you assess the value of a. If a > 0, then the parabola opens up. If a < 0, then it opens down. It's as simple as that.

And by the way, if a = 0, then there is no squared term, and the equation is linear.

Example: 2x^2 + 4x + 2 = y
Do what I said ...

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