some number help plz

[Chromecatz]

what number is -1.938E -6?
i keep getting it in my graphing calculator whenever i get the minimum of the parabola.
*im doing my Algebra 2 homework*

 

[Sandslash7]

-0.000001938.

The E means that it's Scientific Notation.

In true Sci. Not: -1.938 * 10^-6.

 

[Marril]

It sounds like just a rounding error. Should be zero, but something got rounded off a tiny bit in the equation.

 

[Gir]

It's supposed to be zero. It will do that sometiems when you try to find the zeros too.

 

[Professor_Chris]

Just use calculus instead. It's faster. :3

 

[Marril]

It's also easier.

 

[Professor_Chris]

It's also easier.

Much easier. Made me wish I had known calculus a long time ago.

 

[Pinsir52]

It's also easier.

Calculus easier than algeber 2...i wish i was that smart...
oh, and what they said.

 

[ShadowTogetic]

Take its derivative, set it to zero, and you get an extrema.

 

[Professor_Chris]

You actually get a point on the curve where the line tangental to the curve has a slope of 0. The only place a slope of the tangent line is 0 on a curve is where it changes directions. You can also tell if the curve is ascending or decending at a give point using the first derivative. Calculus is awesome like that.

Finding the first derivative is easy too. For example, the derivative of y=x^2 is y'=2x and the first derivative of y=x^3 is y'=3x^2 while the derivative of any constant is 0.

 

[ShadowTogetic]

or, use a program if you're just lazy

f[x_]=function
a[x_]=D[f[x],x];