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-   -   How to find focus, when the vertex is know (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=350244)

  • May 5, 2009, 06:53 PM
    mayflower77
    How to find focus, when the vertex is know
    (x+4)^2=16(y+2) find the vertex, focus, and directix of the parabola. Graph the equation. I got the vertex, how do find the focus and directix.
  • May 6, 2009, 05:23 AM
    Perito

    Parabola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia gives you a lot of information about parabolas.

    Basically, if you arrange the equation for a parabola in this form:



    or



    The vertex is (x,k); the focus is (h, k+p); the directrix is y=k-p where p is the distance from the vertex to the focus.

    Is your equation in this form?



    If it is, you should be able to pick out the values directly. The + and/or - signs shouldn't throw you. If you had (x+7)^2, h is simply -7.

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