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Varying h, k and a in the Standard Equation of a Parabola

Just like the equation y - k = a(x - h)2, the standard equation x - h = a(y - k)2 has the following properties:
  • (h, k) represents the vertex of the parabola
  • a provides important information about the shape and direction of the parabola.
Use the action figure and questions below to explore what happens to the graph of a parabola as we vary h, k and a in the standard equation.

x - h = a(y - k)2

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