Quadratic Equations

A term like x
2
is called a square in algebra
because it is the area of a square with side x
The adjective quadratic
comes from the Latin word quadratum for square.
So a quadratic equation is one in which the highest index
number of a term with x in is x
2
Examples of quadratic equations:
y = x
2
y = x
2
+ 1
y = x
2
+ 3x - 10
Quadratic Equations
These equations can be drawn as graphs in the same way that we
know how to draw straight line graphs.
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y
By substituting the given values for x calculate the y value for
the following equation:
y = x
2

9 4 1 0 1 4 9
This generates coordinates to plot on a graph
(-3,9)
(-2,4)
(-1, 1)
(0, 0)
(1, 1)
(2, 4)
(3, 9)
Notice how the y values
are symmetrical
Quadratic Equations
Plotting these points
(-3,9)
(-2,4)
(-1, 1)
(0, 0)
(1, 1)
(2, 4)
(3, 9)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 -10
x
y
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
x
x x
x x
x
x
What is the name of
this shape?
Parabola
Why is it this shape?
because x
2
is always
positive, even when
x itself is negative
and the value of y
increases at a much
faster rate than x

The lowest point is called
the minimum
Quadratic Equations
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 -10
x
y
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
Draw the graph for the following quadratic function
y = x
2
+ 1
Complete the table:
x -3 -1 0 1 3
y 10 2 1 2 10
x
x
x
x
x
Draw the graph
Quadratic Equations
Drawing graphs of more complex quadratic functions
we need bigger tables with more data in order to be able
to draw the graphs accurately
y = x
2
- 3x - 2
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
x
2

-3x
-2
y
16 9 4 1 0 1 4 9 16
12 9 6 3 0 -3 -6 -9 -12
-2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2
Now add all the
values together
to find y
26 16 8 2 -2 -4 -4 -2
2
Quadratic Equations
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 -10
x
y
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
Quadratic Equations
y = x
2
+ 3
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
x
2

+3

y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
20
18
16
2
14
12
10
8
6
4
2

-2
-4
-6
2
-8
-10
-12
-14
-16
-18
-20

16 9 4 1 0 1 4 9
16
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
19 12 7 4 3 4 7 12 19
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Quadratic Equations
y = x
2
+ 2x + 1
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
x
2
2x
+1
y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
10
9
8
2
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

-1
-2
-3
2
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10

16 9 4 1 0 1 4 9 16
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
+1+1 +1+1 +1 +1+1 +1+1
9 4 1 0 1 4 9 16 25
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Quadratic Equations
y = 2x
2
x

+ 3
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
2x
2

-x
+3
y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
50
45
40
2
35
30
25
20
15
10
5

-5
-10
-15
2
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40
-45
-50

32 18 8 2 0 2 8 18 32
+4+3 +2+1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4
+3+3 +3+3 +3+3+3+3+3
37 2413 6 3 4 9 18 31
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Quadratic Equations
y = x
2
+ 3
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
x
2

+3

y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
20
18
16
2
14
12
10
8
6
4
2

-2
-4
-6
2
-8
-10
-12
-14
-16
-18
-20

Worksheet 1
Quadratic Equations
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
x
2

2x
+1
y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
20
18
16
2
14
12
10
8
6
4
2

-2
-4
-6
2
-8
-10
-12
-14
-16
-18
-20

Worksheet 2
y = x
2
+ 2x + 1
Quadratic Equations
Draw the graph of this function
x -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4



y
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
10
9
8
2
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

-1
-2
-3
2
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10

y = 2x
2
x

+ 3
Worksheet 3