What is the opening direction of the parabola x = –2y2.
A.left
B.right
C.up
D.down
If x gets big positive when y gets big, the parabola opens to the right
If x gets big negative as y gets big, it opens to the left
so, if x = -2y^2, what happens?
It goes to the left? Idk.
To determine the opening direction of a parabola, we need to look at the coefficient of the squared term in the equation.
In this case, the equation is x = -2y^2. The coefficient of the square term, -2, is negative.
When the coefficient of the squared term is negative, the parabola opens downward.
Therefore, the answer is D. down.
To understand this concept, it is important to understand the standard form of a parabolic equation, which is y = ax^2 + bx + c. In this standard form, the coefficient 'a' determines the direction of the parabola. If 'a' is positive, the parabola opens upward, and if 'a' is negative, the parabola opens downward.