Build & Fit - Quadratic Functions

You can make a quadratic function by dragging the three RED points almost anywhere on the screen (why almost?). The function will have the form

quadratic(x) = Ux^2 + Vx + C,

where U and V are real numbers and the value of C is a real number.

Now try to build the same quadratic function by combining the appropriate amounts of quadratic term, linear term and constant term using the BLUE sliders. Try to do this without displaying the functional form of the RED quadratic function you have made.

You can check your work by showing the expressions for the functions on the screen.

How many RED dots would you need to make a cubic function? How do you know?

Copyright 2013 - Judah L. Schwartz, 29 October 2013, Created with GeoGebra