Question

Determine whether the parabola y = -x�� + 15x + 8 opens up, down, left, or right.

1) up
2) down
3) left
4) right

Answer 1

The parabola given by the equation y = -x² + 15x + 8 has a negative coefficient in front of the x² term, indicating that it opens downwards.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether the parabola described by the equation y = -x² + 15x + 8 opens upwards or downwards, we need to look at the coefficient of the x² term. Since the coefficient is negative (-1), this indicates that the parabola opens down. The key characteristic of a parabola is its concavity, which is determined by the sign of the coefficient in front of the x² term. A negative coefficient means the parabola will be concave down and will therefore open downwards. In this case, the correct answer would be option 2) down.