3
lesson pretestMultiple Choice

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Question 3 • Mathematics II

A parabola has a vertex at the origin. The equation of the directrix of the parabola is y is equal to 3 What are the coordinates of its focus?

Answer
A
open paren 0 comma negative 3 close paren
B
open paren negative 3 comma 0 close paren
C
open paren 0 comma 3 close paren
D
open paren 3 comma 0 close paren

Explanation

The directrix is the horizontal line y = 3, so the parabola’s axis is vertical. The vertex lies halfway between the focus and directrix along that axis. Since the vertex is at (0, 0), the focus must be 3 units on the opposite side of the vertex from the directrix: (0, −3). Thus, choice B is correct.

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