Question Determine the direction in which the graph of the following parabola opens. \[ f(x)=-3(x-2)^{2}-4-4.5 \text {. } \] Select the correct answer below:

To determine the direction in which the graph of the parabola opens, we can look at the coefficient of the squared term. In the equation \( f(x) = -3(x-2)^{2} - 8.5 \), the coefficient of \((x-2)^{2}\) is \(-3\), which is negative. This indicates that the parabola opens downwards. Another fun fact about parabolas is that their vertex represents either the highest or lowest point of the graph, depending on the direction they open. Since this parabola opens downward, the vertex will be its highest point, making it a maximum. You can find the vertex by examining the original equation, but just remember the negative coefficient signals a downward-opening shape on the graph!