CarterHarrison

TheIntroduction
Thissectionofmaththatwelearnedaboutforthepastfewmonthswasallabout
quadratics.Welearned,studiedandpracticedthefollowingtopics:
1) Whatisaquadratic?
2) Howtosolveaquadratic?
3) Formsofaquadratic?
4) Howtoswitchbetweenformsofaquadratic?
5) Relatingequationstoparabolasandviceversa.
6) Othervariousskills.
Theprojectwaslaunchedandstartedwithderivationofthekinematicequations.
Westartedattheverybeginningwiththebarebonesofkinematicequationsandafew
sampleproblems.Herearesomeofthebasicthingswestartedwithtorefreshour
memory:

(d=Distance,v=Velocity,t=Time)
d = v t
v = d/t
t = d/v

Thesewerefairlysimpleandmostlyarefresherofkinematics.Fromherewemoved
ontosomethingabitmorecomplex.Thederivationofdisplacementequationwhich
broughtusintothefieldofquadratics.Weobtainedthedisplacementequationbylooking
atgraphsofvelocity,time,acceleration,anddistance.Thedisplacementequationgivesus
thedistanceofsomethingbythestartingvelocity,timeelapsed,andacceleration.The
displacementequationisasfollows:

d = v 0 t + 21 at 2

Thisisaquadraticequation,atthetimewedidnotknowhowtosolvefortbecause
wesimplydidnotknowhowtosolveaquadraticyet.Thistransitionedusintothefieldof
quadratics.

ExploringtheVertexFormoftheQuadraticEquation
ThefirstformofthequadraticequationwelearnedaboutwasVertexform.Inmy
opinionitisthemostusefulinmostcasesandisthesimplestwayofexpressinga
quadraticequation.Vertexformgivesyoulotsofinformationaboutaparabolaintermsof
a,h,andk.Thisiswhatvertexformlookslike:

y = a(x h)2 + k

 Atellsyouhowcompressedaparabolais,itanalsoinvertaparabola.Hereare
someexampleschangingAinvertexform:

Htellsyouwherethevertexxintercept.TheverIfHisnegativethexinterceptis
positiveandifHispositivethexinterceptisnegative.HerearesomeexampleschangingH
invertexform:


Ktellsyouwherethevertexyintercept.Ifkisnegativethexinterceptisnegative
andifkispositivetheyinterceptispositiveHerearesomeexampleschangingkinvertex
form:

 Nowherearesomeexampleswithallthreevaluesscrambledup.

Asyoucanseevertexformisaveryusefulforforvisualizingaparabolajustbased
ontheequation.Iftheequationwasapathofarocketyoucouldfinditsmaxheightbyjust
lookingatK.YoucouldfindwhereitreacheditsmaxheightbylookingatH,andhowsteep
itwasshotitbylookingatA.

OtherFormsoftheQuadraticEquation
Thereare2otherformstoaquadraticequation,standardformandfactoredform.
Factoredformisextremelyusefulforfindingthexinterceptsinanequation.Thisiswhat
factoredformlookslike.

y = a(x s)(x t)

Thisisfactoredform.Likevertexform,Agivesyouthehowcompressedparabolais
(A),whileSandTgiveyouyour2xintercepts(Whereyourparabolacrossesthexaxis).
Hereisanexampleoffactoredform.

Anexampleforhowusefulthiscouldbeislet'ssayyouwantedtoknowthedistance
arockettraveledfromtakeofftolanding,itwouldsimplybethedifferencebetweenSand
T.
ThefinalformofaquadraticequationisStandardform.Fromstandardformyou
canfindouthowcompressedtheparabolais(A)andtheyintercept(C).Thisiswhat
standardformlookslike.

y = ax2 + bx + c

Thisisstandardform.ThevalueCwillgiveyouwherethetheparabolacrossesthe
y-axis.Hereisanexampleofstandardform.



Vertexform,Standardform,andFactoredformcanalltellyoudifferentthings
aboutanequationandtheycangiveyouthesameresultandparabola.Youcanswitch
betweenformswhichIwillcoverinthenextsectionbuthereisVertexform,Standard
form,andFactoredformallgiveyouthesameresult.Hereisanexampleofthat:

2
y = 2(x 2) 1 = 2x 8x + 7 = 2(x 1.293)(x 2.707)
2

Youcanseethevisualformofthisdownbellow.

ConvertingbetweenForms
Itisveryusefulandessentialtoknowhowtoconvertbetweenthese3formstoget
piecesofinformation.

1) VertexformtoStandardform
y = 2(x 2)2 1
y = 2(x2 4x + 4) 1
y = 2x2 8x + 8 1
y = 2x2 8x + 7

AREADIAGRAM:
x -4

x x2 -4x

-4 -4x 4

2) StandardFormtoVertexForm
y = 2x2 8x + 7
y = 2(x2 4x) + 7
y = 2(x2 2x) + 7 8
y = 2(x2 2) 1
AREADIAGRAM:
 x -2

x x2 -2x

-2 -2x 4

3) FactoredformtoStandardform
y = 2(x 1.293)(x 2.707)
y = 2(x2 2.707x 1.293x + 3.5)
y = 2(x2 + 4x + 3.5)
y = 2x2 + 8x + 7
4) StandardformtoFactoredform
y = 2x2 + 8x + 7
y = 2(x2 + 4x + 3.5)
y = 2(x2 2.707x 1.293x + 3.5)
y = 2(x 1.293)(x 2.707)

a) Thefactoringpart
x2 + 4x + 3.5 = 0
x2 + 4x = 3.5
x2 + 4x + 4 = 3.5 + 4
(x + 2)(x + 2) = 0.5
(x + 2) = 0.5
x = 0.707 2
x = 1.293 or x = 2.707

SolvingProblemswithQuadraticEquations
Kinematics
Ihave2rockets,oneisaregularrocketandonegoesoffintospaceatthesame
angleforever.It'samagicrocket.Thepathsoftheserocketsareasfollows:

y = height
x = time

y = 31 x
y = 1200x 2x2

 Iwanttoknowwherethetworocketsmeetintheair,wheretheirpathscrossalso
howhightheregularrocketgets.WhentheycrossIknowtheirequationsareequal.FirstI
willconvertregularrocketintovertexform.

1200x 2x2
2x2 + 1200x
2(x2 + 1200x)
2(x2 600x)
2(x2 300x) + 90000
2(x 300)2 + 180000

Wenowknowthattherocketreachesitsmaxheightat300andis 180000 high.But

Thisisuselesstous,wenowwanttoknowwhenthetworocksmeet.Whentheymeetthey
areequalsolet'ssettheequaltoeachother.

2x2 + 1200x = 31 x
2x2 + 1200x 31 x = 31 x 31 x
3 x = 0
3599
2x2 +
( 2x + 3 ) x = 0
3599

x=0 6
or 3599

Sonowweknowtheroketscollidewhenx= 3599
6 .Atwhatypointdotheycollide?

y = 31 x
y= 1 3599
3 6
y= 1 3599
3 6
y= 1 3599
3 18

Theycollideat ( 3599
6 ,
3599
18 ) or (599.833, 199.944) .




Geometry
Let'ssayIamafarmerandIamraisingpigs.IwantthebestfreerangepigssoI
wanttomaximisetheirareathattheycanroamin,IalsowantittobearectanglecauseI
likerectangles.Iborderariver.Ihave410feetoffencing.WhatisthebestwayIcanusemy
fencingintermsinwidth?

Theequationtogetthetotalareaiswidthtimesheight:

w h = (205 2x)x = area

 (205 2x)x = 2x2 + 205x = area

Tosolvethisweneedtoknowwhatvalueofxgivesusthemaximumarea.Todo
thisweneedtoputthisintovertexformtoseewherethevertexis,thiswhywecanthe
maximumareaandhowlongtomakethewidth.

2x2 + 205x
2(x2 + 205x)
2(x2 + 205x)
2(x2 102.5x)
2(x2 51.25x) + 2626.5625
2(x 51.25)2 + 5253.125

Thevertexisat(51.25, 5253.125 )thistellsusthatweshouldmakethewidthofour
fence51.25andwewillgetourmaximumarea.Themaximumareais 5253.125 .

Economics
Let'ssayIamselling120maps.ThemoreIchargeformymapthelesspeoplewill
buyitbutthemoremoneypermapIwillmake.It'satradeoff.Thiscanbeexpressedasa
quadraticequation.Firstweneedtoknowhowmanymapswewillsellbasedonprice.Iwill
beabletosell:
(120 3x) = amount of maps sold at x price
amount of maps sold at x price price = prof it
(120 3x)x = prof it (y)

Tosolvethisweneedtoknowwhatvalueofxgivesusthemaximumprofit.Todo
thisweneedtoputthisintovertexformtoseewherethevertexis,thiswhywecanthe
maximumprofitandhowmuchtopricethemapsat.

(120 3x)x = 3x2 + 120x

3x2 + 120x
3(x2 + 120x)
3(x2 40x)
3(x2 20x)
3(x 20)2 + 1200

Thevertexisat(20,1200)thistellsusthatweshouldpriceourmapsat20$andwe
willgetourmaximumprofit.Themaximumprofitis$1200.

Reflection

DuringthisprojectIthinkIlearnedmoremaththananyotherunitthisyear.Thisis
becauseItwas100%newtome.AtfirstitwasverychallengingbecauseIhaveneverseenit
before.OnceIwrappedmyheadarounditandcameupwithmyownwayofdoingit,itall
clickedtome.AfterthisunitIhavenowfeltmorepreparedfortheSAT,butIthinkthere
areroomforimprovements,speedandaccuracyiswhatIneedtoimproveon.Idoneedto
practicequadraticsmore.DuringthisunitIbelieveIreallystruggledwithorganization
becauseIwouldreturntomyworkafter5minutesandnotknowwhatnumbersIwas
usingforwhat.OvertimemyStayOrganizedhabitdefinitelyimproved.Anotherthingthat
reallyhelpedmewasTakingapartandPuttingbacktogether.WhenIfirstlearnedhowto
solvequadraticswasnotsurewhatIwasdoingIwouldgetgetnumbersanddidn'tknow
whattheymeant.OnceIlearnedwhattheymeantandhowtousethemitallclicked.
AnotherhabitthatIusedwasLookingforpatterns.I usedthisonceIhadaprocessdownfor
solvingthingsandfindingsimilaritiesbetweenthem.