Question

Which quadratic function has a wider graph than y=2x^2?

y=10x^2
y=3x^2
y=2x^2
y=1/2x^2

Answer 1

y = 1/2 x²

Explanation:

The coefficient of the first term in a quadratic, in our case here, x², will tell us how the graph stretches. This is akin to the slope within the linear graph. Similar to the slope, the smaller the coefficient value, or value of slope m, the shallower the angle.

When discussing quadratics, the larger the coefficient of our x² term, the steeper, and skinnier the graph. If we want to look for a graph that is wider than y = 2x², then we need to find a graph with a coefficient that is less than 2.

Our only option then is

y = 1/2 x²