Find Decreasing Intervals for the Quadratic Function y = (x+1)(x+5)

The function $y = (x+1)(x+5)$ is in intercept form, and we can start by expanding it:

$y = x^2 + 6x + 5$.

We take the derivative of the quadratic function with respect to $x$ to find the critical points:

$y' = \frac{d}{dx}(x^2 + 6x + 5) = 2x + 6$.

Set the derivative equal to zero to find any critical points:

$2x + 6 = 0$.
Solving for $x$, we get $2x = -6$ or $x = -3$.

This critical point, $x = -3$, will help us break the number line into intervals to test whether the derivative is positive or negative.

We examine intervals to determine where the function is decreasing by using test points:

• Interval $x < -3$: Choose a test point (e.g., $x = -4$)
  $y'(-4) = 2(-4) + 6 = -8 + 6 = -2$ (negative)
• Interval $x > -3$: Choose a test point (e.g., $x = 0$)
  $y'(0) = 2(0) + 6 = 6$ (positive)

For $x < -3$, $y'$ is negative, indicating the function is decreasing in this interval.

Therefore, the interval where the function is decreasing is $x < -3$.