Find the Axis of Symmetry -3x^2-12x+1

$- 3 x^{2} - 12 x + 1$

Step 1

Write $- 3 x^{2} - 12 x + 1$ as an equation.

$y = - 3 x^{2} - 12 x + 1$

Step 2

Rewrite the equation in vertex form.

Complete the square for $- 3 x^{2} - 12 x + 1$ .

Use the form $a x^{2} + b x + c$ , to find the values of $a$ , $b$ , and $c$ .

$a = - 3$

$b = - 12$

$c = 1$

Consider the vertex form of a parabola.

$a {(x + d)}^{2} + e$

Find the value of $d$ using the formula $d = \frac{b}{2 a}$ .

Substitute the values of $a$ and $b$ into the formula $d = \frac{b}{2 a}$ .

$d = \frac{- 12}{2 \cdot - 3}$

Simplify the right side.

Cancel the common factor of $- 12$ and $2$ .

Factor $2$ out of $- 12$ .

$d = \frac{2 \cdot - 6}{2 \cdot - 3}$

Cancel the common factors.

Factor $2$ out of $2 \cdot - 3$ .

$d = \frac{2 \cdot - 6}{2 (- 3)}$

Cancel the common factor.

$d = \frac{2 \cdot - 6}{2 \cdot - 3}$

Rewrite the expression.

$d = \frac{- 6}{- 3}$

Cancel the common factor of $- 6$ and $- 3$ .

Factor $- 3$ out of $- 6$ .

$d = \frac{- 3 (2)}{- 3}$

Cancel the common factors.

Factor $- 3$ out of $- 3$ .

$d = \frac{- 3 \cdot 2}{- 3 \cdot 1}$

Cancel the common factor.

$d = \frac{- 3 \cdot 2}{- 3 \cdot 1}$

Rewrite the expression.

$d = \frac{2}{1}$

Divide $2$ by $1$ .

$d = 2$

Find the value of $e$ using the formula $e = c - \frac{b^{2}}{4 a}$ .

Substitute the values of $c$ , $b$ and $a$ into the formula $e = c - \frac{b^{2}}{4 a}$ .

$e = 1 - \frac{{(- 12)}^{2}}{4 \cdot - 3}$

Simplify the right side.

Simplify each term.

Raise $- 12$ to the power of $2$ .

$e = 1 - \frac{144}{4 \cdot - 3}$

Multiply $4$ by $- 3$ .

$e = 1 - \frac{144}{- 12}$

Divide $144$ by $- 12$ .

$e = 1 - - 12$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 12$ .

$e = 1 + 12$

Add $1$ and $12$ .

$e = 13$

Substitute the values of $a$ , $d$ , and $e$ into the vertex form $- 3 {(x + 2)}^{2} + 13$ .

$- 3 {(x + 2)}^{2} + 13$

Set $y$ equal to the new right side.

$y = - 3 {(x + 2)}^{2} + 13$

Step 3

Use the vertex form, $y = a {(x - h)}^{2} + k$ , to determine the values of $a$ , $h$ , and $k$ .

$a = - 3$

$h = - 2$

$k = 13$

Step 4

Since the value of $a$ is negative, the parabola opens down.

Opens Down

Step 5

Find the vertex $(h, k)$ .

$(- 2, 13)$

Step 6

Find $p$ , the distance from the vertex to the focus.

Find the distance from the vertex to a focus of the parabola by using the following formula.

$\frac{1}{4 a}$

Substitute the value of $a$ into the formula.

$\frac{1}{4 \cdot - 3}$

Simplify.

Multiply $4$ by $- 3$ .

$\frac{1}{- 12}$

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$- \frac{1}{12}$

Step 7

Find the focus.

The focus of a parabola can be found by adding $p$ to the y-coordinate $k$ if the parabola opens up or down.

$(h, k + p)$

Substitute the known values of $h$ , $p$ , and $k$ into the formula and simplify.

$(- 2, \frac{155}{12})$

Step 8

Find the axis of symmetry by finding the line that passes through the vertex and the focus.

$x = - 2$

Step 9

Find the Axis of Symmetry -3x^2-12x+1

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