What real value of t produces the smallest value of the quadratic t^2 -9t - 36?
What real value of t produces the smallest value of the quadratic t^2 -9t - 36?
Let y=t^2 -9t - 36
This is a concave up parabola. The smallest value of y is the vertex.
Do you know how to find the axis of symmetry
it is just x or in this case t= -b/2a (from the quadratic formula)
The smallest value of y will be ON the axis of symmetry.