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Where on a parabola does the vertex always sit?
AOn the y-axis always
BOn the x-axis always
COn the axis of symmetry
DAt the y-intercept
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. On the axis of symmetry
1. A parabola folds onto itself across one vertical line, called its axis of symmetry.
2. The lowest point of an upward parabola, or the highest point of a downward one, is the vertex.
3. That extreme point sits exactly on the fold line, so the vertex always lies on the axis of symmetry.
4. Its x-coordinate is therefore the same number that the axis of symmetry is set equal to.
_Source: OpenStax Intermediate Algebra (CC BY 4.0), section 9.6 Graph Quadratic Functions Using Properties_