Question #N18
The graph of the equation $y = x^2 - 6x + 5$ is a parabola. What are the coordinates of the vertex of this parabola?
A. (-3, -4)
B. (3, -4)
C. (3, 4)
D. (-3, 4)
Correct Answer is: B
The x-coordinate of the vertex of the parabola is given by $-b/(2a)$, where a and b are the coefficients of the quadratic equation. In this case, $a = 1$ and $b = -6$, so the x-coordinate of the vertex is 6/(2*1) = 3. To find the y-coordinate of the vertex, we substitute x = 3 into the equation: $y = (3)^2 - 6(3) + 5 = 9 - 18 + 5 = -4$. Therefore, the vertex of the parabola is (3, -4).