You are NOT going to need one of those x , y charts...
We only do this when we don't know the shape of something -- when we don't really know what we're doing!
From now on, we have a new motto:
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PLOTTING POINTS IS FOR SISSIES! |
*The official
Webster's dictionary definition of a "sissy"
is a "weak or feeble
person."
Who wants to be weak or feeble? NOT ME! I want to be an algebra animal... a math monster...
A SUPER GEEK!
In the next sections, I'll show you how to graph all sorts of parabolas... and never once will we have to use one of those pathetic "plotting points" tables! We won't need to plot points, take stabs in the dark and make guesses... because we will be super genius graphers!
We're going to be moving Standard Parabola Guy around, so let's look at his basic shape again:
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Remember that his job is to square things... What would the next set of points be?
over 3... square that... up 9
over 4... square that... up 16