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Expert: - 10/19/2005


Question
The graph of a quadratic function can have 0, 1, or 2 x intercepts.
How can you predict the number of x intercepts without drawing the graph
or (completely) solving an equation?  

Answer
a quadratic equation has the form ax^2 +bx +c = 0
calculate the radical b^2 -4ac.
if that is zero, there is only one intercept
if that is positive, there are two intercepts
if that is negative, there are only imaginary solutions and no intercepts.  

Algebra

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