SSAT Upper Level Math : x and y Intercept

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #12 : How To Find The Equation Of A Curve

A horizontal parabola on the coordinate plane has -intercept ; one of its -intercepts is .

Give its equation.

Possible Answers:

Insufficient information is given to determine the equation.

Correct answer:

Insufficient information is given to determine the equation.

Explanation:

The equation of a horizontal parabola, in standard form, is

for some real 

 is the -coordinate of the -intercept, so , and the equation is

Set :

However, no other information is given, so the values of  and  cannot be determined for certain. The correct response is that insufficient information is given.

Example Question #13 : How To Find The Equation Of A Curve

A vertical parabola on the coordinate plane includes points  and 

Give its equation.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The standard form of the equation of a vertical parabola is

If the values of  and  from each ordered pair are substituted in succession, three equations in three variables are formed:

 

 

 

The system

can be solved through the elimination method.

First, multiply the second equation by  and add to the third:

         

 

Next, multiply the second equation by  and add to the first:

          

Which can be divided by 3 on both sides to yield

 

Now solve the two-by-two system

by substitution:

Back-solve:

Back-solve again:

The equation of the parabola is therefore 

.

Example Question #14 : How To Find The Equation Of A Curve

A vertical parabola on the coordinate plane shares one -intercept with the line of the equation , and the other with the line of the equation . It also passes through . Give the equation of the parabola.

Possible Answers:

The correct answer is not among the other responses.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First, find the -intercepts—the points of intersection with the -axis—of the lines by substituting 0 for  in both equations.

 is the -intercept of this line. 

 is the -intercept of this line. 

The parabola has -intercepts at  and , so its equation can be expressed as 

for some real . To find it, substitute using the coordinates of the third point, setting :

.

The equation is , which, in standard form, can be rewritten as:

Example Question #15 : How To Find The Equation Of A Curve

A horizontal parabola on the coordinate plane includes points  , and 

Give its equation.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The standard form of the equation of a horizontal parabola is

If the values of  and  from each ordered pair are substituted in succession, three equations in three variables are formed:

 

 

 

The three-by-three linear system

can be solved by way of the elimination method. 

 

 can be found first, by multiplying the first equation by  and add it to the second:

                 

 

Substitute 5 for  in the last two equations to form a two-by-two linear system:

 

 

The system 

can be solved by way of the substitution method;

 

Substitute 2 for  in the top equation:

 

The equation is .

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