A Resource for Free-standing Mathematics Qualifications Quadratic Graphs

Quadratic graphs have equations of the form:

y = ax 2 + bx + c where a, b, c are positive or negative constants

(b and/or c could also be zero)

To draw a quadratic graph from its equation, you need to calculate and plot points.
You need to plot enough points to give the shape of the curve.

Example y = x 2 − 3x gives these points: x –1 0 1 2 3 4

y 4 0 –2 –2 0 4
In this case it is useful to work out an extra point:
When x = 1.5, y = 1.52 – 3 × 1.5 = – 2.25 This is the lowest point on the curve.

2 The curve crosses the y axis at (0, 0)

Graph of y = x - 3x and the x axis at (0, 0) and (3, 0).
y
4 The points where the curve crosses
the x axis (i.e. the line y = 0) give the
y=3 solutions of the equation x 2 − 3x = 0 .
3
The solutions of x 2 − 3x = 0 are:
x = 0 and 3
2

1
The solutions of x 2 − 3x = 3 are found
where the curve crosses the line y = 3.
0 x
-1 0 1 2 3 4
The solutions are x = – 0.8 and 3.8
(correct to 1 decimal place)
-1

-2

The curve has a minimum point

-3
at (1.5, – 2.25).

All quadratic equations y = ax 2 + bx + c have this characteristic shape.

When a is positive, the curve has a minimum point like this one.
When a is negative, the curve is the other way up and has a maximum point.

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Example y = 5 + 2 x − 4x 2 gives the following points:

x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
y – 37 – 15 –1 5 3 –7 – 25

To help get the shape right near the highest point, it is useful to work out extra points:
eg when x = 0.5, y = 5 + 2 × 0.5 – 4 × 0.52 = 5
when x = 0.25, y = 5 + 2 × 0.25 – 4 × 0.252 = 5.25 (the maximum value of y)

The graph is shown below.

Graph of y = 5 + 2x - 4x 2

y
10 The maximum point on this curve is
(0.25, 5.25).
5

0 x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 This curve crosses the y axis at (0, 5)
and the x axis at (– 0.9, 0) and (1.4, 0)
-5
(correct to 1 decimal place)

-10 The points where the curve crosses the

x axis give the solutions of the equation
5 + 2x − 4x 2 = 0
-15
The solutions are x = – 0.9 and 1.4
y = -20 (correct to 1 decimal place)
-20

The graph can be used to solve other

-25 equations.

-30 For example 25 + 2 x − 4 x 2 = 0 is

equivalent to 5 + 2 x − 4 x 2 = −20 so
look for the x values where the curve
-35 crosses y = - 20

The solutions are x = – 2.3 and 2.8

-40
(correct to 1 decimal place)

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Try these….

1 a) Complete the table: x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3

x2
2x2
3x2
– x2
– 2x2
– 3x2

b) On the grid below draw and label the graphs of the following:

y = x2 y = 2x 2 y = 3x 2 y = – x2 y = – 2x 2 y = – 3x 2

y
30

20

10

0 x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

-10

-20

-30
c) Write down what you notice about your graphs.

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2 a) Complete the table below for y = 2 x 2 − 5 x − 3

x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5
y
b) On the grid below plot the points from the table, but do not join them yet.

c) Find the value of y when x = 1.25 and plot this point on the grid.

Graph of y = 2x 2 - 5x - 3
y
30

25

20

15

10

0 x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-5

-10

d) Join the points with a smooth curve.

e) Use your graph to solve the following equations:

(i) 2 x 2 − 5x − 3 = 0

(ii) 2 x 2 − 5x − 3 = 5

(iii) 2 x 2 − 5 x − 3 = 19

(iv) 2 x 2 − 5 x = 0

(v) 2 x 2 − 5x + 2 = 0

(vi) 2 x 2 − 5x − 9 = 0

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3 a) Draw the graph of y = 4 x − x 2 for values of x between – 1 and 5

b) What is the maximum point on the curve?
c) Use your graph to solve the following equations:
(i) 4 x − x 2 = 0 (ii) 4 x − x 2 = 2

(iii) 4 x − x 2 = −3 (iv) 4 + 4 x − x 2 = 0

4 a) Draw the graph of y = x 2 − 3 x − 4 for values of x between – 2 and 5

b) Find the coordinates of the minimum point on the curve.
c) Use your graph to solve the following equations:
(i) x 2 − 3 x − 4 = 0 (ii) x 2 − 3 x − 4 = 3

(iii) x 2 − 3 x − 4 = −2 (iv) x 2 − 3 x = 0

(v) x 2 − 3 x + 1 = 0 (vi) x 2 − 3 x − 6 = 0

5 a) Draw the graph of y = 3 x 2 + 2 x − 7 for values of x between – 4 and 3

b) Give approximate coordinates for the minimum point on the curve.
c) Use your graph to solve the following equations:
(i) 3x 2 + 2 x − 7 = 0 (ii) 3x 2 + 2 x − 7 = 20

(iii) 3x 2 + 2 x − 7 = −5 (iv) 3x 2 + 2 x − 17 = 0

(v) 3x 2 + 2 x = 0

d) Explain how you can tell from the graph that the equation 3x 2 + 2 x + 3 = 0 has no solutions.

6 a) Draw the graph of y = 9 − 2 x − 2 x 2 for values of x between – 4 and 3

b) Estimate the coordinates of the maximum point on the curve.
c) Use your graph to solve the following equations:
(i) 9 − 2 x − 2 x 2 = 0 (ii) 9 − 2 x − 2 x 2 = 7

(iii) 9 − 2 x − 2 x 2 = −12 (iv) 2 x 2 + 2 x = 0

(v) 2 x 2 + 2 x = 5 (vi) 2 x 2 + 2 x − 19 = 0

d) Explain how you can tell from the graph that the equation 2 x 2 + 2 x + 3 = 0 has no solutions.

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Teacher Notes

Unit Intermediate Level, Using algebra, functions and graphs

Skills used in this activity:

• Drawing graphs of quadratic functions
• Using graphs to find the solutions to quadratic equations.

Notes
This activity can be used to introduce quadratic graphs or as a revision exercise at the end of the course.
The accompanying Powerpoint presentation includes the examples that are given on pages 1 and 2. The
questions on pages 2 and 3 can be done on the worksheet, but those on page 5 expect students to draw the
graphs on graph paper. Alternatively, students can use graphic calculators to answer all of the questions.

Answers
1 a)
x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
x2 9 4 1 0 1 4 9
2x2 18 8 2 0 2 8 18
3x2 27 12 3 0 3 12 27
– x2 –9 –4 –1 0 –1 –4 –9
– 2x2 – 18 –8 –2 0 –2 –8 – 18
– 3x2 – 27 – 12 –3 0 –3 – 12 – 27

b) y
30
y = 3x2

20
y = 2x2

10 y = x2

0 x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

-10 y = – x2

y = – 2x2
-20

y = – 3x2
-30

c) Possible answers include:

All curves pass through the origin. As the coefficient of x2 increases, the curve becomes steeper.
Positive x2 terms give a ∪ shaped curve, whilst negative x2 terms give a ∩ shaped curve.

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2 a)
x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5
y 30 15 4 –3 –6 –5 0 9 22
b) see graph below c) - 6.125
2
Graph of y = 2 x - 5x - 3
d)
y
30

25 e) (i) - 0.5, 3

20 (ii) - 1.1, 3.6

15
(iii) - 2.3, 4.8

(iv) 0, 2.5
10

(v) - 1.2, 3.7

5

0
x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-5

-10

3 a) 2
Graph of y = 4x - x

y
4
b) (2, 4)
3
c) (i) 0, 4
2
(ii) 0.6, 3.4
1
(iii) - 0.6, 4.6
0 x
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
(iv) - 0.8, 4.8
-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

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4 a) Graph of y = x 2 - 3x - 4 b) (1.5, - 6.25)

y
6
c) (i) -1, 4
5
(ii) - 1.5, 4.5
4
3 (iii) - 0.6, 3.6
2
(iv) 0, 3
1
0 x (v) 0.4, 2.6
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-1 (vi) - 1.4, 4.4
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7

2
5 a) Graph of y = 3x + 2x - 7

y
35
b) (-0.3, - 7.3)
30

25 c) (i) - 1.9, 1.2

20 (ii) - 3.3, 2.7

15 (iii) - 1.2, 0.5

10 (iv) - 2.7, 2.1

5 (v) - 0.7, 0

0 x
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
-5

-10

d) 3x + 2 x + 3 = 0 is equivalent to 3x 2 + 2 x − 7 = −10 .
2

The curve does not cross the line y = - 10, so there are no solutions.

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6 a) Graph of y = 9 - 2x - 2x 2

y
10

0
x
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

-5

-10

-15

b) (- 0.5, 9.5)

c) (i) -2.7, 1.7 (ii) - 1.6, 0.6 (iii) - 3.8, 2.8

(iv) -1, 0 (v) -2.2, 1.2 (vi) - 3.6, 2.6

d) 2 x 2 + 2 x + 3 = 0 is equivalent to 9 − 2 x − 2 x 2 = 12 .
The curve does not cross the line y = 12, so there are no solutions.

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