Question

The vertex of this parabola is at (-2, -3). When the y-value is -2, the x-value is -5. What is the coefficient of the squared term in the parabola's equation?

Answer 1

ok...so the vertex form of a parabola is

\[y = a(x - h)^2 + k\]

where (h, k) is the vertex.

so substitute your vertex as the 1st step

then you have a point on the curve

(-5, -2)

you can substitute these values into the equation and solve for a. That will also be the value of the coefficient of x^2