A bridge is sketched in the coordinate plane as a parabola represented by the equation

Answer 1

y = ax^2 + bx + c

where a, b, and c are constants.

The bridge is symmetrical with respect to the y-axis, meaning that it is a downward-opening parabola.

By finding the vertex of the parabola, we can determine the highest point of the bridge. The x-coordinate of the vertex is given by:

x = -b / 2a

To find the y-coordinate of the vertex, we substitute the x-coordinate into the equation of the parabola:

y = a(x^2) + bx + c

The vertex of the parabola represents the highest point of the bridge, and the y-coordinate gives us the maximum height of the bridge above the x-axis.