8.

How is the graph of y = 5x2 − 4 different from the graph of y = 5x2?

It is shifted 4 units to the right.

It is shifted 4 units down.

It is shifted 4 units up.

It is shifted 4 units to the left.

1 answer

To understand how the graph of \(y = 5x^2 - 4\) is different from the graph of \(y = 5x^2\), we need to analyze the impact of the \( - 4 \) term.

The equation \(y = 5x^2\) represents a parabola that opens upwards with its vertex at the origin (0, 0).

The equation \(y = 5x^2 - 4\) modifies this parabola by subtracting 4 from the output value \(y\). This vertical adjustment impacts the position of the graph:

- The term \(-4\) shifts every point on the graph of \(y = 5x^2\) downward by 4 units.

Thus, the graph of \(y = 5x^2 - 4\) is shifted **4 units down** compared to the graph of \(y = 5x^2\).

So, the correct answer is:

**It is shifted 4 units down.**