Question

the conic section below is ______.
a. a circle
b. an ellipse
c. a parabola
d. a hyperbola
e. a degenerate

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Conic Section Shapes

Circles are round, ellipses are oval, parabolas open in one direction, hyperbolas have two branches, and degenerate conics are special cases (like a point or line).

Step2: Analyze the Graph

The graph shown has one open curve, not two (so not hyperbola), not round/oval (so not circle/ellipse), and it's a non - degenerate open curve opening in one direction, matching a parabola's shape.

Answer:

c. a parabola