How do you find two quadratic function one that opens up and one that opens downward whose graphs have intercepts (-1,0), (3,0)?

Question

19363 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2016-12-31T15:40:22

Please see the explanation.

Because the quadratic function is zero, when $x = -1 and x = 3$ , it will have the factors:

$y = k(x + 1)(x - 3)$

where k is an unknown constant that one can use to force the quadratic to pass through a point with a non-zero y coordinate.

If $k > 0$ , then the quadratic opens upward.

If $k < 0$ , then the quadratic opens downward.

I will multiply the factors:

$y = k(x^2 -2x - 3)$

I will chose $k = 1$

$y = x^2 -2x - 3" [1]"$

Now I will choose $k = -1$

$y = -x^2 +2x + 3" [2]"$

Equation [1] opens upward and equation [2] opens downward; both have the same intercepts, $(-1,0) and (3,0)$