Using Quadratics Equations

To find the Parabolas of a Suspension Bridges

By
Joseph Newkirk
Westinghouse High School
Overview
The expeditionary mathematics can be employed to build bridges between Urban
Youth and engineering application of algebra and geometry. Suspension bridges
are used to span large distances. More can be learned more about these bridges at
the following website: http://www.goldengate.org.
When the main (curved) cables are attached to the deck by vertical cables they
will end up in the shape of a parabola. Assume that we need to build a bridge that
spans 2400 feet. The two towers, 165 feet tall each, are placed 400 feet from
either side. The lowest point of the main cable is reached in the center of the
bridge at 10 feet. Vertical suspension cables are placed at 25-foot intervals.
Activity
How many feet of cable are needed to connect the deck to the main cables
between the two towers? What is the length of the main cable? Show all your
work.
Rationale
The philosophy of hands - on math permeates both the teachers preparation and
their high school classrooms. The change to a new view of mathematical learning
is a journey that began with the teachers themselves experiencing a profound
change in their relationship to mathematics. As teachers learned to construct their
own solutions to problems, they became aware of the personal nature of learning.
Using manipulative materials and sketches to solve problems, increased their
confidence in their own problem-solving strategies. Recently, and as early as the
1990s, teachers realized that substantive changes in math would not be
implemented simply by changing textbooks or by mandate from the
administration. A major shift in instructional focus required that teachers develop
new skills, behaviors, and beliefs.
As teachers developed new understandings about math, they became aware that
previously they had been "feeding" a set of pre-established procedures to the
students and training students to "parrot back" these procedures. That form of
instruction was seen as teacher centered. To reorient the instructional process
toward being more student centered, teachers needed practice in stepping away
from center stage and using class time to focus instead on students' exploration of

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math concepts. This meant that some instructional practices needed to be

modified, and teaching and learning was now the norm. Teachers, to meet the
needs of each student, used constructivist-teaching methods.
Rather than focusing on calculations and repetition of drill and practice,
mathematics class time has become an exploration of concepts using hands-on
models. The bulk of class time is devoted to student problem-solving work in
cooperative teams. When several teams have devised a solution, students
demonstrate their own mathematical reasoning by illustrating their team's
solution.
Using constructivist-teaching methods
Learning does not mean simply receiving and remembering a transmitted
message; instead, "educational research offers compelling evidence that students
learn mathematics well only when they construct their own mathematical
understanding" (Mathematical Sciences Education Board, 1989, p. 58). To help
students learn mathematics, teachers must become aware of how children have
constructed mathematics from their experiences both in and out of school and
learn more about what it means for students to construct mathematical knowledge.
Three basic tenets of constructivism are:
1. Knowledge is not passively received but is actively created or invented
(constructed) by students. Students construct new mathematical
knowledge by reflecting on their physical and mental actions.
2. Learning reflects a social process in which students interact, discuss,
and even argue their ideas, with themselves and with others, in the process
of understanding a particular concept.
3. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, in the Assessment
Standards for School Mathematics (1995), emphasized the importance of
having an alignment (consistency) between the tools used for instruction
in the classroom and for assessment. Most recently, the NCTM Principles
and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) stated, "electronic
technologies calculators and computers are essential tools for
teaching, learning, and doing mathematics."
The Use of Technology in the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics
The appropriate use of instructional technology tools is integral to the learning
and teaching of mathematics and to the assessment of mathematics learning.
Technology has changed the ways in which mathematics is used and has led to the
creation of new and expanded fields of mathematical study. Thus, technology is
driving change in the content of mathematics programs, in methods for
mathematics instruction, and in the ways that mathematics is learned and

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assessed. A vital aspect of such change is a teacher's ability to select and use
instructional technology to develop, enhance, and extend students' understanding
and application of mathematics. (See NCTM Position Statement at
http://www.nctm.org/about/position_statements/position_statement_13.htm.
Calculators and the Education of Youth
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends the integration of
calculators into the school mathematics program at all grade levels. Research and
experience support the potential for calculator use to enhance the learning and
teaching of mathematics. Calculator use has been shown to enhance cognitive
gains in areas that include number sense, conceptual development, and
visualization. Such gains can empower and motivate all teachers and students to
engage in richer problem-solving activities.
Westinghouse High School
The Westinghouse High School mathematics curriculum explores mathematics
from both a theoretical and a life-application perspective. Real world situations
and experiences are brought into the classroom through structured learning
experiences using technology, TI 83 graphing calculators and field trips. This
method of the study of mathematics also leads to the students ability to think
logically and solve problems. It develops thought patterns and mental discipline
appropriate to life in a technological age.
As science and technology have come to influence all aspects of life from
health and environment to financial affairs and national defense, so mathematics
has come to be of vital importance to the educational agenda of our nation.
Mathematics is the foundation of science and technology. The analytical skills
inherent in mathematics are necessary for almost anything a person will do in
today's society.
To prepare students to cope with the technological, information-based society
of the 21st century, schools will have to raise the level of education in general,
and mathematics instruction in particular. Everyone will need mathematics to
function well in the work place and in society.
This unit offers a very different approach to the area of mathematics.
Students develop the expertise in mathematics necessary to succeed at the college
level or in a skilled job area. Applied mathematics learning is designed to make
mathematics useful and meaningful for the students through the use of a more
hands-on approach. Laboratory site visit - activities should be included to apply
the skills learned in the classroom to practical problems.

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Cooperative and constructivist learning will govern the teaching strategy for
this unit. Students in urban settings have different learning styles and social skills
that will be addressed in this unit. Hands on approach, team projects and open
ended questions will challenge both student and instructor to maintain a sense of
focus and objectivity. At Westinghouse High School, an urban school where 99%
of the student population is African Americans performing at below basic skills, a
systemic overhaul is required to improve the teaching and learning of
mathematics. As students work on bridge design and the mathematics of the main
cable, in cooperative work groups, they will apply not only mathematical
principles but also social problem-solving strategies. They will discover their
"way," which may not be universally embraced, but will be very engaging and
challenging.
Using TI 83 Plus, students will be required to program the calculator the length
of the main cable, suspenders, and distances from the tower. Some students may
get hooked on this project and work from its beginning to completion. This
combination of algebra, geometry, working as a team, and having a thematic
project will give the students a sense of learning, while having fun.
The specific strategy of the unit will appeal to many different learning styles
and may, in fact, give female students a scientific and engineering sense of the
built environment that they would not ordinarily have in a traditional mathematic
curriculum. This is true for many of the male students, too. The hope is that many
students will find the project interesting and will essentially teach themselves. A
secondary objective is that students will develop an in-depth cognitive
assimilation of mathematics, and in due course look for the math in their world.
Much of the emphasis will be on the procedural knowledge that many students
come to geometry with but lack a deeper conceptual understanding, and very few,
if any, have an understanding of how to apply what they have learned.
Many urban students come to school often with different academic needs. The
traditional seat time is not the best educational method for these students. Tactile
learning, integrated with handson and mindson activities will facilitate the
production of deeper thinkers a Habit of Mind for inquiry, asking questions
and finding solutions. Research has suggested that many students in urban setting
are often low achievers and require alternative teaching and learning methods.
The Learning Styles of Low Achievers
Seven learning style traits discriminate between high-risk students and dropouts,
and students who perform well in school. Most low achievers and dropouts need
but are not limited to the following:
Frequent opportunities for mobility
Reasonable choices of how, with which resources, and with whom to learn

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A variety of instructional environments, materials, and sociological

groupings rather than routines and patterns
To learn during late morning, afternoon, or evening hours
Informal seating (e.g., beanbag chairs and cushions)
Soft illuminationbright or fluorescent light may contribute to
hyperactivity
Introduction to materials with tactile or visual resources, reinforced with
visual or kinesthetic resources; or an introduction to materials with
kinesthetic or visual resources, reinforced with visual or tactile resources

Underachievers tend to have poor auditory memory. If they learn visually, it

usually is through pictures, drawings, graphs, symbols, comics, and cartoons
rather than text. Although low achievers often want to do well in school, their
inability to remember facts through lecture, discussion, or reading contributes to
their low performance in traditional schools where introductory instruction is
usually teachers talking and students listening or reading (Dunn 1988). Although
low achievers learn differently from high achievers and the gifted, they also learn
differently from each other.
How Does Culture Contribute to Achievement?
Research by Milgram, Dunn, and Price (1993) reveals that opportunity
substantially influences an individual's development of specific talents. For
example, if access to creative activities, information, or role models is not readily
available, fewer adolescents will develop giftedness in that domain. Thus, in
cultures that respect science, higher percentages of students gifted in science will
develop. The same finding holds firm across other domains. Most U.S.
communities support athletics financially, but rarely hesitate to eliminate
programs in music, art, and drama when funds are scarce. In addition, few
advanced science opportunities are available to elementary school and middle
school students.1
Developing Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge Through Applied Learning
An underlying mission is to accelerate student learning and enable students to
become change agents of their own academic development through Habits of
Mind - the complete integration of technology, authentic learning projects within
the mathematics curriculum coupled with sciences and applied learning. In this
unit the students will be able to gain a greater conceptual understanding of how to
apply procedural knowledge.

http://ascd.org/publications/books/1996dunn/chapter1.html

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Mathematical Abilities Definitions

Conceptual understanding
Students demonstrate conceptual understanding in mathematics when they
provide evidence that they can recognize, label, and generate examples of
concepts; use and interrelate models, diagrams, manipulatives, and varied
representations of concepts; identify and apply principles; know and apply facts
and definitions; compare, contrast, and integrate related concepts and principles;
recognize, interpret, and apply the signs, symbols, and terms used to represent
concepts. Conceptual understanding reflects a student's ability to reason in
settings involving the careful application of concept definitions, relations, or
representations of either.
Procedural knowledge
Students demonstrate procedural knowledge in mathematics when they select and
apply appropriate procedures correctly; verify or justify the correctness of a
procedure using concrete models or symbolic methods; or extend or modify
procedures to deal with factors inherent in problem settings. Procedural
knowledge encompasses the abilities to read and produce graphs and tables,
execute geometric constructions, and perform non-computational skills such as
rounding and ordering. Procedural knowledge is often reflected in a student's
ability to connect an algorithmic process with a given problem situation, to
employ that algorithm correctly, and to communicate the results of the algorithm
in the context of the problem setting.

Problem solving
Students demonstrate problem solving in mathematics when they recognize and
formulate problems; determine the consistency of data; use strategies, data,
models; generate, extend, and modify procedures; use reasoning in new settings;
and judge the reasonableness and correctness of solutions. Problem-solving
situations require students to connect all of their mathematical knowledge of
concepts, procedures, reasoning, and communication skills to solve problems.2

The Project
Students will choose a suspension bridge and use the quadratic equations to
determine the parabola, cables and suspension lengths using the TI 83 Plus
calculator. Outlined below is a detailed example of a lesson that the instructor will
use to teach and demonstrate the principles of applied learning.

National Center for Education Statistics

Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Dept. of Education
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/abilities.asp

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Suspension Bridges site:

Suspension bridges, for site visits are the bridges spanning the Monongahela
River from Station Square and the South Side to downtown Pittsburgh, including
the historic Smithfield Street Bridge (1881), the Panhandle RR Bridge (1903), the
Liberty Bridge (1928), the South 10th Street Bridge (1921), the Birmingham
Bridge (1977) and, near the horizon, the twin black spans of the Hot Metal Bridge
(1877) and Mon Con RR Bridge (1877). Students can learn more about this bridge
at the following website:
http://pittsburgh.about.com/library/pictures/bridges/uc_bridge-2.htm

Figure 1 Towers of suspension bridge

Figure 2 parabolas from the towers of suspension bridge

(Note: The students as part of their research must verify all dimensions. The
dimensions given here are for demonstration purposes only.)
When the main (curved) cables are attached to the deck by vertical cables they
will end in the shape of a parabola. Assume that we need to build a bridge that
spans 2400 feet. The two towers, 165 feet tall each, are placed at 400 feet from
either side. The lowest point of the main cable is reached in the center of the
bridge at 10 feet. Vertical suspension cables are placed at 25-foot intervals.
How many feet of cable are needed to connect the deck to the main cables
between the two towers? Show all your work.

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Objectives
Pittsburgh has more bridges than any other city in the country. I thought it might
be nice to take advantage of this fact and use what students see, in both the natural
and built environment. What I saw was a teachable moment, using the students
neighborhoods, cities and surroundings to develop this task. For many people this
is not a new task, but the connection with the technology, expeditionary learning
and constructivist learning may make the task rich and interesting to students and
instructors.
What This Task Accomplishes
Students will develop a strategy, most likely using a quadratic function, to
determine cable length as a function value. This task is particularly well suited to
use the quadratic format that is based on a transformation point of view rather
than the general format.
What the Student Will Do
Students will need to spend some time understanding all the details of this
problem in the context of a suspension bridge. They should develop a
mathematical model and then apply this model toward a solution for this problem.
Students may do a background investigation at the suggested websites or other
websites. Students may also simulate this problem by writing a computer or
calculator program. Geometry and spatial sense are fundamental components of
mathematics learning. They offer ways to interpret and reflect on our physical
environment and can serve as tools for the study of bridges and the structures that
support them.
As the study of the relationships among shapes and their properties becomes
more abstract, students should come to understand the role of definitions and
theorems and be able to construct their own proofs. For example, students in high
school should be able to prove that the area of a triangle formed by vertices that
bisect the sides of a larger triangle equal one-fourth of the area of the larger
triangle.
Principles and Standards (NCTM) call for geometry to be learned using
concrete models, drawings, and dynamic software. With appropriate activities and
tools and with teacher support, students can make and explore conjectures about
geometry and reason carefully about geometric ideas.

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Strategies
Time Required for Task
1. Six weeks
2. 40 to 60 minutes per class time
3. Four to six field trips 2 hours each
Concepts to be Assessed and Skills to be developed

Problemsolving
Mathematical modeling
Quadratic functions
Using a coordinate system
Choosing an appropriate domain
Determining function values

Suggested Materials
Graphing paper, (programmable) calculators or computers, spreadsheets
Teaching Tips and Possible Solutions
Alert students how to determine if cables are used to suspend road decks on
bridges. Often at each point several vertical cables connect the bridge with the
main cables. Students should take this into account. You could ask additional
questions such as:
How many miles of cable will be needed?
If we put cables at 50 foot intervals would that halve the total amount of
cable?
What is the increase in the amount of cable needed if the lowest point of
the main cable is 20 feet above the bridges center?
Presented below are two different ways to solve this problem. In the student
papers there is also a very nice solution using a computer program.
First Scenario: 0.0002422x2 0.58125x + 356.768

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The parabola in this case is on the domain [400, 2000]. We can find the
formula for this parabola easily by using the transformation model. Then with
simple algebra it can be expanded to the general formula, such as the one above.
This goes as follows:

y = a (x h )2 + k

Where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola (here that is (1200,10) and a is a
measure of the curvature of the parabola)? Expanding this form gives:

y = ax 2 2ahx + (ah 2 + k ) , which is the general form.

y = ax 2 + bx + c
It is obvious that for the bridge problem b and c are expressed in a, h, and k,
and thus are parameters that are complex and difficult to give any meaning for a
bridge. However, the general formula works very well for accelerated motion,
where a represents the acceleration, b the initial velocity, and c the initial
distance. In the above example we need one point on the curve to calculate the
value of a. In our case that could be (400,165).
The formula above is then derived as follows:
y = a( x 1200 )2 + 10

165 + a(400 1200)2 + 10

155 = a(800)

a=

155
= 0.0002422
8002

so :
2
y = 0.0002422(x 1200) + 10

y = 0.0002422(x 2 2400x + 1440000)+ 10

y = 0.0002422x 2 0.58125x + 358.768

Second Scenario: 0.0002422 x 2 + 10

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Rather than finding out how our parabola was moved from the origin, we can
move our origin to a convenient place. This requires an adjustment in the domain
otherwise the conditions are altered. By moving the origin horizontally under the

h=0

vertex, we essentially make

The domain is now adjusted to [800,800] and the new vertex is (0,10), therefore
the formula that will help us capture the exact same parabola is:

y = ax 2 + 10 ,

y = ax 2 + k

, which, in this example, becomes:

and since we need a point on the parabola to calculate a, we can use (800,165)
for this purpose. The result is:
165 = a(800)2 + 10

155 = a(800)2
155
a=
= 0.0002422
8002
so :
y = 0.0002422x 2 + 10

Therefore, both formulas describe the same parabola, however on different

domains.
Attached is a spreadsheet that illustrates this in increments of 25. The cables are
doubled on either side for stable construction and we do not have any cables at the
towers, so the total cable is about 4 x 3800 ft = 15,200 ft or about 3 miles of
cable.
Rubrics and Benchmarks
Novice
This student makes a correct picture of the given situation. Possible vertex
coordinates and a quadratic function are given without explanation. The student
appears to find a distance that is unrelated to the problem.
Apprentice
This student makes a correct picture of the given situation. The student applies
strategies that belong to linear functions. It is not clear where some of the
numbers come from. The student extrapolates an incorrect strategy to an
interesting way to find the cable length on both sides of the bridge. Although this
is very inventive, it does not relate to this problem at all.
Practitioner
This student develops an appropriate mathematical model for this problem, but
quadratic function is not stated explicitly. A model is used appropriately to

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calculate function values. Total cable length is calculated appropriately. It appears

that the term squared is not used appropriately here.
Expert Sample 1
This student creates a very thorough and clear solution employing a self-designed
computer program. Nothing is left for interpretation. This work is like scenario 1
in the Teaching Tips and Possible Solutions section above.
Expert Sample 2
A very clear and thorough solution equivalent to scenario 2 in the Teaching Tips
and Possible Solutions section is created. Nothing is left for interpretation. This
student makes a clear link with previous learning and demonstrates overtly
working with a model.

142

Bibliography
Billington, David P., Robert Maillart's Bridges, Princeton University Press,
Princeton, NJ, 1997. Ropert Maillart is a Swiss bridge designer who is not only a
civil engineer but also a structural artist
Petroski, Henry, Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning
of America, Vintage Books, 1996. A history of five engineers who have built
bridges
Salvadori, Mario (1979). Building from caves to Skyscrapers. New York,
Atheneum. Introduces structures and buildings
Salvadoru, Mario. (1980) Why Buildings stand Up: The Strength of Architecture.
New York. W.W. Norton & Company. Introduces building making, and structures
Salvadori, Mario and Tempel, Michael. (1983) Architecture and Engineering: An
Illustrated Teacher's Manual on Why Building Stand up. New York, New York
Academy of Science --Manual for teachers.
Student Reading List
John Carol, and Rieth, Elizabeth, Bridges: Amazing Structures to Design, Build &
Test, and Williamson Publishing 1999. Bridges from all around the world and
construction techniques used to build them.
Kaner, Etta, Bridges, Kids Can Press, 1997. A guide to hand-on building of
models.
Student Web Site List
Pittsburgh's Bridges
by Walter C. Kidney, Clyde Hare

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APPENDIX: A
Pittsburgh - "City of Bridges"

If you like bridges, then you'll love Pittsburgh! We're affectionately known as the
City of Bridges for good reason - over 1900 bridges exist in Allegheny County
alone
Bridges of the Monongahela River

Bridges spanning the Monongahela River from Station Square and the South Side
to downtown Pittsburgh, include the historic Smithfield Street Bridge (1881), the
Panhandle RR Bridge (1903), the Liberty Bridge (1928), the South 10th Street
Bridge (1921), the Birmingham Bridge (1977) and, near the horizon, the twin
black spans of the Hot Metal Bridge (1877) and Mon Con RR Bridge (1877).

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6th Street Bridge - Roberto Clemente Bridge

The Sixth Street Bridge, renamed the Roberto Clemente Bridge in 1999, is one of
three identical "sister" bridges built across the Allegheny River, connecting
Pittsburgh to the North Shore. It, like most downtown Pittsburgh river bridges, is
painted golden yellow (the official city colors are Black and Gold). The unique Ushaped building at the far end of the bridge is the historic Fulton building,
recently restored as a luxury Marriott Renaissance Hotel.
Allegheny River Bridges at Downtown Pittsburgh

The bridges which cross the Allegheny river near downtown Pittsburgh and the
Point include the Ft. Duquesne Bridge (1969), the identical Sixth (1928), Seventh
(1926), and Ninth Street Bridges (1928), the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge (1904),
the Veteran's Bridge (1987), and the Sixteenth Street Bridge (1923).

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The Three Sisters - Sixth, Seventh & Ninth Street Bridges

The Sixth (Roberto Clemente), Seventh, and Ninth Street bridges are called the
"Three Sisters" - the only identical trio of bridges in the United States. All three
replaced former bridges, but the story of the Roberto Clemente (Sixth Street)
Bridge is the most interesting - the original Sixth Street bridge burned in the late
1800's because the sparrows nests in the beams caught fire from the steamboat
smoke stacks.
Pittsburgh's Oldest River Bridge

The Smithfield Street bridge (1883) is considered by most to be Pittsburgh's most

historically significant bridge for several reasons: 1) it replaced two bridge
structures by well-known bridge engineers, Lewis Wernwag and John A.
Roebling (creator of the Brooklyn Bridge); 2) it was the first American use of the
lenticular (lens-shaped) truss design; and 3) it was one of the first major bridges in
the US built primarily with steel, and is probably the oldest extant major steel
truss remaining. The graceful Smithfield Street Bridge is also the oldest remaining
river bridge in Allegheny County and has been designated a National Historic
Civil Engineering Landmark.

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APPENDIX: B
Instructional Unit The Parabola:
Instructional Unit
The Parabola: An Algebraic Approach
Teaching Notes:
In this lesson students look at the directrix and the focus of a parabola. This lesson
has direct connections to Day 1. However, instead of finding the parabola from
the directrix and focus, the students will be finding the directrix and focus of a
known parabola. No technology is stressed in this lesson. However, algebraic
manipulation tools may be helpful for some students that have difficulty
performing tasks like completing the square.
Introduction:
Prior to this lesson, we have looked at the parabola's equation in standard
polynomial form. That is, y = ax^2 + bx + c. Now we will look at simply the
standard form of the parabola equation.
The Definition:
A parabola is the set of points equidistant from a line called the directrix, and a
fixed point called the focus. The focus is not on the directrix.
Standard Form Equation: (x - h)^2 = 4c(y - k)
Vertex: (h, k)
Axis of Symmetry: x = h
Focus: (h, k+c)
Directrix: y = k - c
Opens: up if c > 0 / down if c < 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Examples:
1.
Find the directrix and focus of this parabola:
(x - 5)^2 = 12(y + 2)
Solution:
This equation is already in standard form, so simply use the information provided
above.

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Value of "c": 3 Vertex: (5,-2)

Axis of Symmetry: x = 5
Focus: (5,1)
Directrix: y = -5
Opens: up
2.
Find the directrix and focus of this parabola:
2x^2 - 4x + y + 4 = 0
Solution:
This equation needs to first be written in standard form by completing the square.
2x^2 - 4x + y + 4 = 0
2x^2 - 4x + 2 + y + 4 = 2 (add 2 to both sides)
2(x^2 - 2x + 1) + (y + 4) = 2 (grouping and factoring)
2(x - 1)^2 = -y - 2 (factoring)
(x - 1) 2 = -(1/2)(y + 2)
Value of "c": -1/8 Vertex: (1,-2)
Axis of Symmetry: x = 1
Focus: (1,-17/8)
Directrix: y = -15/8
Opens: down
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Additional Teaching Notes:
Some students may require some additional examples. Probably the most
difficulty will be encountered while "completing the square", so it may be
necessary to spend some time reviewing this concept.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Homework Problems:
Find the directrix and focus of this parabola:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

y = x2 + 5
(x - 4) 2 = 2(y - 1)
3x2 + 12x - 5y + 7 = 0
y = x2 - 6x + 5
y = -2x2 + 5x - 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Solutions to Homework Problems:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Focus: (0,-19/4) Directrix: y = -21/4

Focus: (4,3/2) Directrix: y = 1/2
Focus: (-2,-7/12) Directrix: y = -17/12
Focus: (3, -15/4) Directrix: y = -17/4

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Study Guide and Practice for Algebra I

NAME: _______________________________
Material Covered
Quadratic Functions

Compute an input-output table from a quadratic equation

Graph a quadratic equation by plotting the points in an input-output table

Find the zeroes and vertex of a quadratic function from the graph or the
input-output table

Solve quadratic equations by graphing and finding the zeroes.

Calculators
Calculators will be permitted, but will not be required. No problems will require
use of the graphing features of the TI-83. You may use any type of calculator if
you do not have a TI-83.
Practice Problems for Algebra I Quiz on Quadratics
Based on the given information, identify the zeroes and the vertex.
a. For this graph:

b. For this table (ask for graph

paper and make a graph if it
helps):

x
y
3
5
2
0
1
3
0
4
1
3
2
0
3
5
Zeroes (x values):
Zeroes (x values):
Vertex (x and y values):
Vertex (x and y values):

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2. Do the following for y = x2 + x 6.

a. Make the table and graph.
(Calculations)
x
y
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
b. Find the zeroes (x values):
c. Find the vertex (x and y values):
3. Solve the equation x2 + 3 = 4x. Remember, there may be no solutions, 1
solution, or 2 solutions.
a. Rewrite the equation so 0 is on one side of the = sign:

b. Replace 0 with y.

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c. Complete the table of values and graph the new equation from step (b)
x

(Calculations)

4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
Solution(s) if there are no solutions, write no solutions:
d. Check the solution(s) in the original equation. If the check fails, go back
and find the mistake and fix it. If you found two solutions, you must check
both of them.

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4. Solve the equation x2 + 2x = 4

a. Rewrite the equation so 0 is on one side of the = sign:

b. Replace 0 with y.

c. Complete the table of values and graph the new equation from step (b)
x

4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
Solution(s):
d. Check the solution(s) in the original equation. If the check fails, go back
and find the mistake and fix it. If you found two solutions, you must check
both of them.

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5. Based on the given information, identify the zeroes and the vertex.
a. For this graph:

b.

For this table (ask for graph

paper and make a graph if it
helps):
x
y
3
12
2
5
1
0
0
3
1
4
2
3
3
0
4
5
Zeroes (x values):

Zeroes (x values):
Vertex (x and y values):
Vertex (x and y values):
6. Do the following for y = 2x2 + x 3.
a. Make the table and graph.
(Calculati
x
y
ons)
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
b. Find the zeroes (x values):
a. Find the vertex (x and y values):

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7. Solve the equation x2 + 3 = x. Remember, there may be no solutions, 1

solution, or 2 solutions.
a. Rewrite the equation so 0 is on one side of the = sign:

b. Replace 0 with y.

c. Complete the table of values and graph the new equation from step (b)
x

(Calculations)

4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
Solution(s) if there are no solutions, write no solutions:
d. Check the solution(s) in the original equation. If the check fails, go back
and find the mistake and fix it. If you found two solutions, you must check
both of them.

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APPENDIX: C
Content Standards
The Pittsburgh Public Schools have adopted Mathematics Standards that are used
throughout the entire district. All seven of the math standards used by my school
district, Pittsburgh Public Schools, are addressed in the unit and are listed below.
Students are to take measurements, perform calculations and come up with
theoretical predictions, which are later verified. The Mathematics Standards
describe what students should know and be able to perform at or above grade
level. They reflect the increasing complexity and sophistication that students are
expected to achieve as they progress through school. The lessons and tasks in this
paper, adhere to the following standards:
1. All students use numbers, number systems, and equivalent forms (including
numbers, words, objects and graphics) to represent theoretical and practical
situations.
2. All students compute, measure, and estimate to solve theoretical and practical
problems, using appropriate tools, including modern technology, such as
calculators and computers.
3. All students apply the concepts of patterns, functions and relations to solve
theoretical and practical problems.
4. All students formulate and solve problems and communicate the mathematical
processes used and the reasons for using them.
5. All students understand and apply basic concepts of algebra, geometry,
probability and statistics to solve theoretical and practical problems.
6. All students evaluate, infer and draw appropriate conclusions from charts,
tables and graphs, showing the relationship between data and real world
situations.
7. All students make decisions and predictions based upon the collection,
organization, analysis and interpretation of statistical data and the application of
probability.
Glossary
A. Content Standards Specific information on what students are expected to
know and be able to do for the nine academic goals. Content standards describe
the knowledge and skill expected of students at important developmental stages.
Standards are not curriculum, but guide the development of curriculum.

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