KEY

Analyzing Parametric Graphs

Part 2

Blue packet graph:

Pink packet graph:

Yellow packet graph:

Green packet graph:

Prediction Questions:
Before you make the x-y graph today, you are going to talk with your group to make very educated
predictions about the properties of those graphs. We can actually tell a lot about the x-y graph just
by looking at the x(t) and y(t) graphs.
1. How can you determine where your x-y graph will hit a turning point, going from up to
down? Where will that happen on your x-y graph?
Look for local maximum points on the y(t) graph. When you
look at the t-value for those points, you can find the
corresponding x & y values to get the coordinates of this
turning point on the x-y graph.

2. How can you determine where your x-y graph will hit a turning point, going from down to
up? Where will that happen on your x-y graph?
Look for local minimum points on the y(t) graph. When you
look at the t-value for those points, you can find the
corresponding x & y values to get the coordinates of this
turning point on the x-y graph.
3. How can you determine where your x-y graph will hit a turning point, going from left to
right? Where will that happen on your x-y graph?
Look for local minimum points on the x(t) graph. When you
look at the t-value for those points, you can find the
corresponding x & y values to get the coordinates of this
turning point on the x-y graph.
4. How can you determine where your x-y graph will hit a turning point, going from right to
left? Where will that happen on your x-y graph?
Look for local maximum points on the x(t) graph. When you
look at the t-value for those points, you can find the
corresponding x & y values to get the coordinates of this
turning point on the x-y graph.
5. How can you determine where your x-y graph will have x-intercepts? Where will that
happen on your x-y graph?
Look for t-intercepts (where the graph crosses the horizontal
asymptote) on the y(t) graph. When you look at the t-value for
those points, you can find the corresponding x values to get
the x-coordinates of these x-intercepts.
6. How can you determine where your x-y graph will have y-intercepts? Where will that
happen on your x-y graph?
Look for t-intercepts (where the graph crosses the horizontal
asymptote) on the x(t) graph. When you look at the t-value for
those points, you can find the corresponding y values to get
the y-coordinates of these y-intercepts.