Finding the intersection of the parabola and a line requires solving what type of equation?

The correct answer involves recognizing the relationship between the equations of a parabola and a line. A parabola is typically represented by a quadratic equation, which has the general form (y = ax^2 + bx + c). On the other hand, a line is represented by a linear equation, often in the form (y = mx + b).

To find the intersection points of the parabola and the line, one needs to set these two equations equal to each other because at the points of intersection, both equations yield the same (y) value for the same (x) value. Therefore, you would equate the quadratic expression of the parabola to the linear expression of the line:

[ ax^2 + bx + c = mx + b ]

This leads to a new equation that can be rearranged into a standard quadratic form:

[ ax^2 + (b - m)x + (c - b) = 0 ]

The resulting equation is a quadratic equation, which can be solved using factoring, completing the square, or the quadratic formula. These methods allow you to find the (x) coordinates of the intersection points, and subsequently, you can find their corresponding (y) values.