Training Camp (cont 5)

A cubic function can have one, two, or three x-intercepts.

From these graphs, you may have noticed that, if you know the degree of a function, you can tell the maximum number of x-intercepts that function will have. A linear function, degree 1, will have at most 1 x-intercept. A quadratic function, degree 2, will have at most 2 x-intercepts. A cubic function, degree 3, will have at most 3 x-intercepts.

Now, explore how to find the x-intercepts of a polynomial using its equation. With the help of the graphing calculator, this becomes a straightforward procedure. You need only to recognize that finding the x-intercept means to find the value of x when y = 0.