Graph a horizontal parabola and identify the focus, vertex and directrix

Learn how to graph a horizontal parabola. A parabola is the shape of the graph of a quadratic equation. A parabola is said to be horizontal if it opens to the left or opens to the right. A horizontal parabola results from a quadratic equation in which the y part of the equation is squared.

To sketch the graph of a parabola, we first identify the vertex, the focus and the directrix. To do this, we first using completing the square method to write the equation in the form (y - k)^2 = 4p(x - h), where (h, k) is the vertex and p is the distance between the vertex and the focus.

After expressing the equation in the form (y - k)^2 = 4p(x - h), the vertex is given by (h, k), the focus is given by (h + p, k) and the directrix is given by the line x = h - p. After obtaining the vertex, the focus and the directrix, we can then sketch the parabola.
#conicsections #parabolaconicsections

[b.l.]

wouldn't the vertex have been (0, 1)? I thought the h was found in (x-0) and the k found in (y-1) making the vertex (0, 1)?

[Abby-hj]

WARNING: this is wrong. vertex = 0, 1, directrix = -2 and focuse = 2, 1 @Brian McLogan please edit or take down

[juliecramer]

Would have like to see how you plot the points for the parabola.