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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Barb, a student: I have a question I need help with please. What are the number of x and y intercepts that quadratic function can have and why? |
Hi Barb,
Any quadratic function will have exactly one y-intercept. Parabolae (the shape of quadratic functions) infinity either increase or decrease so there has to be a y-value where x=0.
Think of the x-axis as a horizontal line, how many times could a horizontal line cross a parabola?
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A horizontal line will intersect a parabola 0, 1 or 2 times so that is the possible number of intercepts.
Hope this helps,
Janice
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