Find the positive and negative domains of the function below:
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Find the positive and negative domains of the function below:
The function given is , which is a downward-opening parabola because the coefficient of the squared term () is negative.
The vertex form tells us the vertex of the parabola is at .
The function will be zero where . Solving this equation, we set:
Taking the square root of both sides gives:
Thus, and .
These are the roots of the quadratic, splitting the domain into three intervals: , , and .
We need to test the sign of in each interval:
After analyzing these intervals, the function is positive for and negative otherwise.
Therefore, the positive and negative domains of the function are as follows:
or
or
The graph of the function below intersects the X-axis at points A and B.
The vertex of the parabola is marked at point C.
Find all values of \( x \) where \( f\left(x\right) > 0 \).
The positive domain includes all x-values where y > 0 (function output is positive). The negative domain includes all x-values where y < 0 (function output is negative). It's about the function's sign, not the x-coordinate's sign!
X-intercepts are where the function equals zero, acting as boundary points between positive and negative regions. Since this is a continuous parabola, the function can only change sign by crossing the x-axis.
Pick any test point in each interval and substitute into the function. For example: x = -1 gives y < 0, x = 0 gives y > 0, and x = 2 gives y < 0. This tells you the sign in each region!
The coefficient of the squared term is -1 (negative). When a < 0 in , the parabola opens downward, creating a maximum point at the vertex.
While graphing helps visualize, you need exact calculations to find precise boundary points like and . Graphs can be imprecise for fractional values!
Always verify by testing a point! If your answer says an interval is positive but your test point gives a negative result, double-check your interval classification and calculations.
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