What is the vertex form of y= 6x^2-9x+3 ?

2 Answers
Mar 2, 2016

( x - 3/4 )^2 = 1/6 ( y + 3/8 ).
The vertex of the parabola is ( 3/4, -3/8).

Explanation:

The axis of the parabola is in the positive y-direction.
The focus is at ( 3/4, -3/8 -1/24.) = ( 3/4, -5/12.), below the vertex on the axis x = 3/4.

Mar 2, 2016

y=6(x-3/4)^2+39/16

The solution method has been shown in a lot of detail

Explanation:

Given:" "y=6x^2-9x+3 ................................(1)

This process introduces an error. This error is dealt with by introducing a correction constant.

Let the correction constant be color(green)(k)

color(blue)("Step 1")

Write as:" "y=6(x^2-9/6x)+3

Note that" " 6xx(-9/6)x = -9x
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Step 2")

color(brown)("Move the index of 2 from "x^2" to outside the brackets.")

We have now changed the value of the RHS so unable at this stage to equate it to y

Write as:" "6(x^(color(magenta)(2))-9/6x)+3" " ->" "6(x-9/6x)^(color(magenta)(2))+3
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Step 3")

color(brown)("Remove the right hand side "x" from inside the brackets.")

6(x-9/6color(magenta)(x))^2+3 " "->" "6(x-9/6)^2+3

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Step 4")

color(brown)("Add correction constant of "color(green)(k))

6(x-9/6)^2+3" " ->" " 6(x-9/6)^2+3 +color(green)(k)

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Step 5")

color(brown)("Halve the "9/6" inside the brackets")

=> y=6(x-9/12)^2+3 +k.........................(2)
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Solving for "k)

Expand the brackets of equation (2)

y=6x^2-9x+81/144+3+k

The 81/144 is the error that k is correcting

So to get rid of 81/144 we make k -81/144

so our constant become: " "3-81/144 = 2 7/16 = 39/16

Equation (2) becomes: " "y=6(x-9/12)^2+39/16" ".....(2_a)

But 9/12 = 3/4 so we now have

color(magenta)(" "y=6(x-3/4)^2+39/16)" ".....(2_b)