In this deck, we'll move beyond straight-line graphs. You'll learn to recognise the shapes of three important types of curves: quadratic, cubic, and reciprocal graphs. We'll also look at the key features that help us describe them.

Let's start with quadratic graphs. A quadratic equation is any equation where the highest power of x is two, for example, x-squared. When you plot a quadratic equation, you get a very distinctive, symmetrical curve.

This curve is called a parabola, and it always has a characteristic U-shape or an upside-down U-shape, which we can call an n-shape. Think of a smiley face or a frowny face.

The direction of the curve depends on the x-squared term. If you have a positive x-squared term, like in y equals x-squared plus three, the graph is a U-shape. If you have a negative x-squared term, like in y equals minus x-squared plus five, the graph is an n-shape.