Nitin P. answered 06/04/20
B.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley
A parabola with vertex at the origin and a horizontal axis of symmetry has the general equation x = ay2, since there is no translation. We substitute the given value and solve for a:
-5 = a(-8)2
64a = -5
a = -5/64
Therefore, our equation is x = (-5/64)y2. In order to write it without fractions or decimals, we must write it as:
64x = -5y2