16Hit1600
Advanced MathVery hardMinimum of a parabola from its zeros and a point

Advanced Math practice question

In the xy-plane, the parabola y = a(x − 2)(x − 6) passes through the point (0, 6). What is the minimum value of y on the parabola?

Answer: -2

At x = 0, 12a = 6 gives a = 1/2. The vertex is midway between the zeros, at x = 4, where y = (1/2)(2)(−2) = −2.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 2
2 has the sign wrong.
If you answered 4
4 is the x-coordinate of the vertex.
If you answered -4
−4 uses a = 1.

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