Worksheets · Algebra 1

Properties of parabolas worksheet for Algebra 1

For y = ax² + bx + c the axis of symmetry is x = -b over 2a, the vertex sits on it, and the y-intercept is c. The sign of a says which way it opens, and the vertex is then the minimum or the maximum, which also fixes the range.

Also taught in Algebra 2, at its own level and with its own examples.

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Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Properties of Parabolas

Date Period

Find what is asked for each parabola.

  1. Find the vertex, axis and yy-intercept

    Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=−(x+5)2
  2. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=2x2+20x+48
  3. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=−(x+5)2+7
  4. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=x2−4x+2
  1. Find the maximum or minimum value

    Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−3x2+30x−79
  2. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−x2−4x−9
  3. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−2x2+4x
  4. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=x2−6x+15
  1. Find a parabola's domain and range

    Find the domain and range of y=−(x−2)2−1
  2. Find the domain and range of y=x2+2x+3
  3. Find the domain and range of y=(x+5)2+5
  4. Find the domain and range of y=2x2−12x+25
  1. Find the vertex, axis and intercepts

    Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2+4
  2. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2−4x−3
  3. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=x2−4x+3
  4. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2+6x
  1. Read the features off a graph

    From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept.−10−10−5−5551010
  2. From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down.−10−5551010−10−5
  3. From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept.−10−10−5−5551010
  4. From the graph, find the domain and range of the function.−10−10−5−5510510

Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets

Name

Properties of ParabolasAnswer keyVersion 1

Date Period

Find what is asked for each parabola.

  1. Find the vertex, axis and yy-intercept

    Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=−(x+5)2Vertex (−5,0); axis x=−5; y-intercept (0,−25); opens down
  2. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=2x2+20x+48Vertex (−5,−2); axis x=−5; y-intercept (0,48); opens up
  3. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=−(x+5)2+7Vertex (−5,7); axis x=−5; y-intercept (0,−18); opens down
  4. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=x2−4x+2Vertex (2,−2); axis x=2; y-intercept (0,2); opens up
  1. Find the maximum or minimum value

    Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−3x2+30x−79Maximum, −4
  2. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−x2−4x−9Maximum, −5
  3. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−2x2+4xMaximum, 2
  4. Find the maximum or minimum value of y=x2−6x+15Minimum, 6
  1. Find a parabola's domain and range

    Find the domain and range of y=−(x−2)2−1D: all real numbers; R:y≤−1
  2. Find the domain and range of y=x2+2x+3D: all real numbers; R:y≥2
  3. Find the domain and range of y=(x+5)2+5D: all real numbers; R:y≥5
  4. Find the domain and range of y=2x2−12x+25D: all real numbers; R:y≥7
  1. Find the vertex, axis and intercepts

    Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2+4vertex (0,4); axis x=0; x-intercepts (−2,0),(2,0); y-intercept (0,4)
  2. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2−4x−3vertex (−2,1); axis x=−2; x-intercepts (−3,0),(−1,0); y-intercept (0,−3)
  3. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=x2−4x+3vertex (2,−1); axis x=2; x-intercepts (1,0),(3,0); y-intercept (0,3)
  4. Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2+6xvertex (3,9); axis x=3; x-intercepts (0,0),(6,0); y-intercept (0,0)
  1. Read the features off a graph

    From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept.−10−10−5−5551010vertex (−1,−1); axis x=−1; x-intercepts (−2,0),(0,0); y-intercept (0,0)
  2. From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down.−10−5551010−10−5Vertex (1,8); axis x=1; y-intercept (0,6); opens down
  3. From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept.−10−10−5−5551010vertex (0,1); axis x=0; x-intercepts (−1,0),(1,0); y-intercept (0,1)
  4. From the graph, find the domain and range of the function.−10−10−5−5510510Domain: all real numbers; range: y≥−1

Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep

How to do these

Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=x2−6x+5

  1. Axis: x = 6 over 2, which is 3.
  2. Vertex: y at x = 3 is 9 - 18 + 5, which is -4.
  3. Intercept c = 5; a is positive so it opens up.

The answer is Vertex (3,−4); axis x=3; y-intercept (0,5); opens up.

Where students go wrong

Losing the minus in -b over 2a. For y = x² - 6x + 5, b is -6, so the axis is at positive 3.

Also called vertex and axis of symmetry, maximum or minimum of a quadratic, range of a parabola or quadratic features.

What you can put on this worksheet

Vertex, axis, intercept, direction
Find the vertex, axis of symmetry and y-intercept, and whether it opens up or down: y=−(x−1)2+4 → Vertex (1,4); axis x=1; y-intercept (0,3); opens down
The maximum or minimum value
Find the maximum or minimum value of y=−x2+2x+3 → Maximum, 4
Domain and range
Find the domain and range of y=−(x−1)2+4 → D: all real numbers; R:y≤4
Every feature, including the x-intercepts
Find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept of y=−x2+2x+8 → vertex (1,9); axis x=1; x-intercepts (−2,0),(4,0); y-intercept (0,8)
Read the features off a graph
From the graph, find the vertex, axis of symmetry, x-intercepts and y-intercept. → vertex (0,−4); axis x=0; x-intercepts (−2,0),(2,0); y-intercept (0,−4)
Fraction coefficients
Find the vertex and the minimum value:
f(x)=32x2+12x+25
→ Vertex (−4,1)min y=1

Questions about these worksheets

Yes. Every properties of parabolas sheet is free to print and free to download as a PDF. There is no account to make, no email to hand over and no limit on how many you take.

Yes. The answer key prints on a second page, and you can choose whether it shows each question beside its answer or just the answers in a list.

Yes. Print straight from the page, or download the PDF and print that. The sheet is laid out for paper rather than squeezed off a screen, so there is room to work under each question, and the answer key comes out on its own page.

Algebra 1 is usually taken around 8th or 9th grade, though schools vary and plenty of students meet it earlier or later. Pick the difficulty rather than the grade: the easy level suits a first lesson on it, the hard level suits review before a test.

Yes, as many as you like. The questions are built fresh each time rather than picked from a fixed set of files, so pressing Generate gives a new sheet. That is what you want for a second class, a retake, or two students sitting next to each other.

That is the closest comparison, and Kuta Software is good software. It is also paid software you install on a computer. These worksheets run in a browser tab for free, with no account and nothing to install. Like Kuta, the properties of parabolas questions are generated when you ask for them rather than pulled from a fixed set of files, so two classes never get the same sheet, and the answer key comes with it.

Yes. There are two levels, and you can tick more than one for a sheet that mixes them, in which case the questions come out easiest first. The harder levels are not just larger numbers: they ask for something the easy ones do not.

You pick from 6: vertex, axis, intercept, direction, the maximum or minimum value, domain and range, every feature, including the x-intercepts, read the features off a graph and fraction coefficients. Tick as many as you want and set how many of each, or let it spread them evenly.

Losing the minus in -b over 2a. For y = x² - 6x + 5, b is -6, so the axis is at positive 3.