What is the range of f(x)=25x230x+16?

1 Answer
Nov 15, 2015

y1129144

Explanation:

The range of a function is the set of all the y-coordinates that are represented in the function. A good way to tell range can be simply through looking at a graph.
graph{25x^2-30x+16 [-15.19, 16.85, -2.13, 15.56]}
This is the graph of f(x)=25x230x+16. It appears as if the range, or all the y-values that the graph "covers" starts at about 7 and continues on to .

We can determine the range algebraically. The vertex of the parabola is the lowest point of the function, so, if we can determine its y-value, we know where the range begins.

So, to figure out the location of the vertex, we can use the vertex formula for a parabola (b2a,f(b2a)). The a and b come from the standard form of the parabola ax2+bx+c, so, for 25x230x+16, a=25 and b=30.

First, we figure out the x-coordinate of the vertex by plugging in a and b.
252×30=2560=512

Then, to figure out the y-coordinate (this is the one that matters), we find f(512), that is, plug 512 into the original equation.

We get:
f(512)=25(512)230(512)+16
=25(25144)30(60144)+2304144
=6251441800144+2304144
=1129144

Therefore, the coordinate of the vertex is (512,1129144).
This means that the function's lowest y-value is 1129144, so the range can be written as y1129144,{yy1129144} or [1129144,).