Determine which of the following statements is true about the parabola.

(1 point)
Responses

The y-intercept and the vertex share the same point.
The y -intercept and the vertex share the same point.

The y-intercept and the x-intercepts share the same point.
The y -intercept and the x -intercepts share the same point.

There is only one x-intercept.
There is only one x -intercept.

The vertex and the x-intercepts share the same point.

1 answer

To determine which of the statements is true about a parabola, we need to analyze the characteristics of parabolas in relation to their intercepts and vertices:

  1. The y-intercept and the vertex share the same point.
    This generally is not true; the vertex and y-intercept can be different points unless the vertex is exactly on the y-axis (for example, a vertical parabola with a vertex at (0, k) where k is the y-intercept).

  2. The y-intercept and the x-intercepts share the same point.
    This is false except for very specific cases where the parabola passes through the y-axis at the same value as one of the x-intercepts (very unlikely).

  3. There is only one x-intercept.
    This is true for parabolas that "touch" the x-axis at exactly one point, also known as having a "double root", which occurs when the vertex is on the x-axis.

  4. The vertex and the x-intercepts share the same point.
    This is not generally true; the vertex can be above or below the x-axis, resulting in different points.

Given these analyses, the statement "There is only one x-intercept." could be true in the context of a specific parabola. Therefore, this would be the correct and true statement if we are considering the possibility of a parabola that only touches the x-axis at one point (the vertex).

Thus, the correct answer is: There is only one x-intercept.