To understand what happens to the x-intercepts of the function \( y = x^2 - 25 \) when the graph is reflected over the x-axis, we first need to identify the x-intercepts of the original function.
The x-intercepts occur where \( y = 0 \):
\[ 0 = x^2 - 25 \] \[ x^2 = 25 \] \[ x = 5 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -5 \]
So, the x-intercepts of the function \( y = x^2 - 25 \) are at \( x = 5 \) and \( x = -5 \).
When the graph is reflected over the x-axis, the new function would be \( y = -(x^2 - 25) = -x^2 + 25 \).
In this new function, the x-intercepts are found by setting \( y = 0 \) again:
\[ 0 = -x^2 + 25 \] \[ x^2 = 25 \] \[ x = 5 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -5 \]
Thus, the x-intercepts remain at \( x = 5 \) and \( x = -5 \).
The correct response to the question is:
The x-intercepts remain the same because the y-values get negated during a reflection over the x-axis.