The line y = x^2 -3x + 2 is reflected in the x-axis, find the equation of the new line that has been reflected.

To find the new equation you use the formula y = -f (x) to find the equation of the reflected line. Using y = -f (x) on y=x2 - 3x + 2 means you need to change the signs from positive to negative or negative to positive for all values on the right side (side with all the x's). For y= x2 - 3x + 2 applying the function y = -f (x) creates the new equation y= -(x2) + 3x - 2. It is important to remember that the x2 is negative and it's -(x)2 not (-x)2 , otherwise that would just result in a changing y-intercept and gradient make it a translation and stretch not a reflection.It can be helpful to draw it out on paper or a whiteboard to allow you to see the change, it should go from being a "smiley face" graph to a "sad face" graph. If the graph hasn't changed to or from smiley then you should check over your working again to make sure that you have changed the sign on the x2 part of the equation

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Answered by Lily M. Maths tutor

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