Quadratics Vocabulary
Jamie Kimbrell
Parabola
The shape of the graph of a quadratic equation. An example is the path of a baseball.
Quadratic
An equation with four terms that can be written as ax^2+bx+c=d. An example is the trajectory of a basketball when it is shot.
Vertex
A quadratic function written in the form f(x)=a(x-h)^2+k where a, h, and k are all constants and (h,k) is the vertex; the points of symmetry. An example is the middle of a rainbow from earth.
Axis of Symmetry
Maximum Value
The y-value of the vertex when a parabola opens downward. An example is the point at the base of a roller coaster.
Minimum Value
The y-value of the vertex when the parabola opens upward. An example is the peak of the mountain.
First Differences
The differences between y-values or a function for evenly spaced x-values. The amount of spaces between each bird sitting on the power lines.
Second Differences
Differences between the first differences of a function. An example is the amount of space between two lines such as the space between television cables that intersect.
Zeros(Roots)
The coordinates of the points where the segment intercepts the x axis. An example is an intersection.