ParabolaApplications
Mr. Bigham
Painted by Gieulio Parigi, ≈ 1600 A.D., Florence Italy
An Ancient Application of Parabolas
Archimede’s “Solar Death Ray”
Modern Solar Death Energy Rays
1. Circle2. Ellipse3. Parabola 4. Hyperbola
Conic Sections
Geometry:
Algebra:Ax2 + Bxy + Cy2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0
Parabola
Ax2 + Bxy + Cy2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0
( B = 0, C = 0)
More Parabolas
Parabola anatomy
V
F = FocusV = VertexL = Directrix
Parabola property
Create your own
One way to construct a parabola
• Begin with paper, pencil, straight edge, and compass
• Make a horizontal line, this is your directrix• Make a point above the line, this is your focus• Mark a point on the directrix
Circles
Conic Sections