Chapter 18: Problem 66
The equation of the directrix of the parabola \(y^{2}+4 y+\) \(4 x+2=0\) is: (A) \(x=-1\) (B) \(x=1\) (C) \(x=-\frac{3}{2}\) (D) \(x=\frac{3}{2}\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The directrix is \(x = \frac{3}{2}\) (Option D).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the form of the parabola equation
The given equation is in the form of a rotated parabola equation: \(y^2 + 4y + 4x + 2 = 0\). Our goal is to rearrange this to identify its vertex form \((y-k)^2 = 4p(x-h)\), which then helps in finding its directrix.
02
Complete the square for the y-terms
First, group and complete the square for the terms involving \(y\). We start with \(y^2 + 4y\). Completing the square yields: \((y+2)^2 - 4\). Thus, the equation becomes \((y+2)^2 - 4 + 4x + 2 = 0\).
03
Simplify and rearrange the equation
Simplify the equation: \((y+2)^2 - 4 + 4x + 2 = 0\) becomes \((y+2)^2 = -4x + 2\). Rearrange to get \((y+2)^2 = -4(x - \frac{1}{2})\).
04
Identify the components of the parabola equation
The equation \((y+2)^2 = -4(x - \frac{1}{2})\) indicates a parabola that opens to the left. Here, \(h = \frac{1}{2}\) and \(p = -1\).
05
Determine the equation of the directrix
The directrix of a parabola \((y-k)^2 = 4p(x-h)\) is given by the equation \(x = h - p\). Substituting \(h = \frac{1}{2}\) and \(p = -1\) into \(x = h - p\) yields \(x = \frac{1}{2} + 1 = \frac{3}{2}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Rotated Parabola
A rotated parabola is not oriented along the traditional axis-parallel configuration; instead, it is skewed in its direction. This happens when the terms in the equation are not aligned vertically or horizontally. In the equation \(y^2 + 4y + 4x + 2 = 0\), the presence of both the \(y^2\) and linear x-term suggests that the parabola is not aligned with the standard axes. To reroute it back to a more familiar orientation, which makes it easier to analyze and solve, we transform this into a vertex form. Understanding rotated parabolas entails recognizing the need to reformat such equations so the parabola's properties are revealed more clearly.
Complete the Square
Completing the square is a method used to convert a quadratic equation into a form that reveals important features about the graph of the equation. For the terms \(y^2 + 4y\), we complete the square by rearranging them into \((y + 2)^2 - 4\). This step enables us to express the quadratic component in terms of squared expressions. Here's how you complete the square:
- Take the coefficient of the linear term \(4\), divide it by two to get \(2\), and then square it to obtain \(4\).
- Add and subtract this square inside the equation to maintain the balance, resulting in the added term \(4\) completing the square.
Vertex Form of a Parabola
The vertex form of a parabola is incredibly useful because it directly reveals the vertex's position, the parabola's orientation, and the width. For the exercise, we transformed the given equation into \((y+2)^2 = -4(x - \frac{1}{2})\), which is now in vertex form. This transformation tells us several key things:
- The vertex of the parabola is located at \((\frac{1}{2}, -2)\), translated from the origin due to the terms \(x-\frac{1}{2}\) and \(y+2\).
- The equation \((y-k)^2 = 4p(x-h)\) indicates that it opens sideways, in this case, to the left, since \(4p\) is negative.
- The value of \(p\), extracted from the equation \-4p = -4\, is \(-1\), indicating how far the focus is from the vertex along the axis of rotation.
Directrix Equation
The directrix is a line associated with every parabola and helps define its geometric properties. For a parabola \((y-k)^2 = 4p(x-h)\), the directrix is given by the equation \(x = h - p\). This formula helps determine the exact location of the directrix relative to the vertex.
- In this case, substituting \(h = \frac{1}{2}\) and \(p = -1\) into the formula gives us the equation of the directrix as \(x = \frac{1}{2} + 1 = \frac{3}{2}\).