axis of symmetry Archives - Math and Multimedia

Curve Sketching 2: Graphing Quadratic Functions

January 20, 2013 GB High School Algebra, High School Mathematics

In the first part of this series, we have learned 4 easy ways to graph linear functions. . In this post, we will learn how to sketch the graph of a quadratic function. Quadratic Functions are functions with equation $y = ax^2 + bx +c$ where $a \neq 0$ . This is the standard form. This equation can also be expressed in the form $y = a(x-h)^2 + k$ where $a \neq 0$ is the vertex form.

Unlike linear functions, we need more than two points to sketch the graph of quadratic functions. In the following discussion, we will examine the different properties of quadratic functions and use them to sketch their graph.

Here are some of the properties of $y = ax^2 + bx + c$ in relation to its graph. For students, it is really important that you think about them — don’t just memorize.