Question 155·200 Super-Hard SAT Math Questions·Advanced Math
The quadratic function has -intercepts at and . In addition, .
Let . Which choice is the -intercept of the graph of ?
When a quadratic’s -intercepts are given, start in factored form so you only have one unknown scale factor. Then, when a transformed function like is involved, immediately target the requested feature (here the -intercept ) and rewrite it in terms of a few specific -values, rather than expanding the whole expression.
Hints
Use the intercepts
A quadratic with -intercepts at and can be written as for some constant .
Find the scale factor
Plug into your expression for and set it equal to to solve for .
Focus on
The -intercept of is . Carefully substitute into .
Desmos Guide
Create a slider-based model for
Enter and let be a slider.
Use the point to set
Plot the point . Adjust the slider until the graph of passes through .
Define and evaluate the intercept
Enter . Then evaluate (for example, by typing g(0)), which gives the -intercept.
Step-by-step Explanation
Write a factored form for
Since the -intercepts are and , the function has the form
for some constant .
Use the given point to find
Substitute and :
So , and
Relate the -intercept of to values of
The -intercept of is :
Evaluate and add
Compute each value:
Then
So the -intercept of is .