Question

Lindsay is creating a bridge out of dried pasta and glue. In her plans, she sketches the graph to determine the lengths of the noodles, in centimeters, needed for the arch to increase the length of the bridge in 1 centimeter increments.

Which function did Lindsay use to create her design?

f(x) = (x – 5)2 + 8
f(x) = –(x + 5)2 + 8
f(x) = 0.5(x + 5)2 + 8
f(x) = –0.5(x – 5)2 + 8

Answer 1

f(x)= -0.5(x-5)^2+8

Answer 2

f(x)= -0.5(x-5)^2+8

The 2 exponent following the parentheses indicates it is a quadratic equation, which means it will have a parabola shape. The negative sign in front of the -0.5 indicates the parabola will open down. The + 8 indicates a translation of 8 spaces upward.