Factored Form

Quadratic Equations

When a quadratic function crosses the x-axis, those x-values are called the roots or zeros of the function. For a quadratic function that has real roots,QuadEq1-1 and QuadEq1-2, the factored form is given as: QuadEq1-3; where a is a real number that works the same way as the a-value in the last lesson.

For example: See how the graph of QuadEq1-4 intersects the x-axis at -1 and 5.

QuadEq1-5

The factored form of a quadratic equation also tells you where the x-intercepts are located. The x-intercepts of the equation are the x-values that will make y = 0.