Which of the following accurately describes what the graph of y=5x^2+50x+125

looks like, with the repeated root of x=-5
?

A
The graph opens downward

B
The graph has a vertex to the right of the x-axis

C
The graph touches the x-axis once

1 answer

To analyze the function \( y = 5x^2 + 50x + 125 \), let's consider the following aspects:

  1. Nature of the graph: The function is a quadratic function of the form \( y = ax^2 + bx + c \) where \( a = 5 \), \( b = 50 \), and \( c = 125 \). Since \( a > 0 \), the graph opens upward.

  2. Roots of the graph: You mentioned that the function has a repeated root at \( x = -5 \). If there is a repeated root, it means that the discriminant of the quadratic \( b^2 - 4ac \) is zero. We can check if \( x = -5 \) is indeed a root.

    • Calculate \( b^2 - 4ac \):
      • \( b^2 = 50^2 = 2500 \)
      • \( 4ac = 4 \cdot 5 \cdot 125 = 2500 \)
      • Therefore, \( b^2 - 4ac = 2500 - 2500 = 0 \). This confirms that \( x = -5 \) is a repeated root.
  3. Behavior of the graph around the root: Since \( x = -5 \) is a repeated root, the graph touches the x-axis at this point and does not cross it.

Based on these insights, let's now evaluate the statements:

  • A: The graph opens downward: False (it opens upward).
  • B: The graph has a vertex to the right of the x-axis: This is unclear without calculation, but since it touches the x-axis at \( x = -5 \), the vertex will be located at \( x = -5 \) (which is not to the right of the x-axis).
  • C: The graph touches the x-axis once: True (it touches at the repeated root \( x = -5 \)).

Thus, the correct description is:

C: The graph touches the x-axis once.