Question 99·Hard·Nonlinear Functions
The graph shows line and the parabola , where and are constants. The dashed vertical line shown is the axis of symmetry of the parabola, and line touches the parabola at exactly one point.
Which choice is the value of ?
When a line touches a parabola at exactly one point, set the equations equal to form a quadratic in and use the discriminant condition for that quadratic. Use the graph to extract any missing parameters efficiently first (here, the axis of symmetry gives , and the two labeled points determine the line), then apply the discriminant to solve for the remaining constant.
Hints
Use the dashed line
For a quadratic , the x-coordinate of the axis of symmetry equals .
Build the line equation from two points
Find the slope of using the two labeled points, then use one point to write the line in the form .
Translate “touches at exactly one point” into algebra
After setting the line equal to the parabola, you get a quadratic in . A quadratic has exactly one real solution when its discriminant equals .
Desmos Guide
Enter the line and the quadratic with the correct
Enter the line: y=0.5x+1.
From the axis of symmetry , set and enter the parabola with a slider for : y=x^2-4x+c.
Use the slider to enforce tangency
Adjust the slider for until the line touches the parabola at exactly one point (you should see a single intersection instead of two).
Read the slider value and match a choice
When there is exactly one intersection point, read the corresponding slider value of and select the answer choice that matches it.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the axis of symmetry to find
For , the axis of symmetry is .
From the graph, the dashed axis is at , so
Write an equation for line
From the graph, line passes through and .
Its slope is
so the line is
Set the line equal to the parabola
Substitute into the parabola: .
At intersection points with the line,
Move everything to one side:
Use the fact that the line touches the parabola once
Because the line touches the parabola at exactly one point, the quadratic has exactly one real solution, so its discriminant is :
Compute and solve: