Find the Vertex Form y=-x^2-14x-59

$y = - x^{2} - 14 x - 59$

Step 1

Complete the square for $- x^{2} - 14 x - 59$ .

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

$a = - 1$

$b = - 14$

$c = - 59$

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 $d = \frac{b}{2 a}$ .

$d = \frac{- 14}{2 \cdot - 1}$

Simplify the right side.

Cancel the common factor of $- 14$ and $2$ .

Factor $2$ out of $- 14$ .

$d = \frac{2 \cdot - 7}{2 \cdot - 1}$

Move the negative one from the denominator of $\frac{- 7}{- 1}$ .

$d = - 1 \cdot - 7$

Rewrite $- 1 \cdot - 7$ as $- - 7$ .

$d = - - 7$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 7$ .

$d = 7$

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 $e = c - \frac{b^{2}}{4 a}$ .

$e = - 59 - \frac{{(- 14)}^{2}}{4 \cdot - 1}$

Simplify the right side.

Simplify each term.

Raise $- 14$ to the power of $2$ .

$e = - 59 - \frac{196}{4 \cdot - 1}$

Multiply $4$ by $- 1$ .

$e = - 59 - \frac{196}{- 4}$

Divide $196$ by $- 4$ .

$e = - 59 - - 49$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 49$ .

$e = - 59 + 49$

Add $- 59$ and $49$ .

$e = - 10$

Substitute the values of $a$ , $d$ , and $e$ into the vertex form $- {(x + 7)}^{2} - 10$ .

$- {(x + 7)}^{2} - 10$

Step 2

Set $y$ equal to the new right side.

$y = - {(x + 7)}^{2} - 10$