How to Sketch a Parabola - Example 2 (y = x^2 - 4x - 12)

In this video, we graph the trinomial / quadratic function y = x² - 4x - 12 by finding its concavity, y-intercept, using the turning point formulas and the quadratic formula for the x-intercepts. Remember, there are only 4 pieces of information you need to accurately sketch a parabola:

1. Concavity - determined by whether the coefficient in front of the x² term is positive or negative
2. y-intercept - the value of the trailing free term
3. Vertex or turning point - given by (-b/2a, -(b²-4ac)/4a)
4. x-intercepts, if there are any - determined by the quadratic formula