Height of a Zero Gravity Parabolic Flight

Math 1010 Intermediate Algebra Group Project

Have you ever ondered hat it might feel li!e to float eightle"" in "pace# $ne ay to try it out i" to fly on a "pecial aircraft that a"tronaut" u"e to train for their trip" to "pace% &oth 'A(A and the )u""ian (pace Agency have been flying the"e for year"% *he ay thi" i" accompli"hed i" to fly to a high altitude+ drop do n to gain "peed+ and then "tart a large parabolic path up in the "!y% For a time ranging from 10 to ,0 "econd"+ along the top part of the parabolic flight+ an environment "imulating -ero gravity i" created ithin the plane% *hi" effect can cau"e "ome nau"ea in the participant"+ giving ri"e to the name ./omit 0omet1+ the plane u"ed by 'A(A for -ero2G parabolic training flight"% 0urrently there i" a private company that ill "ell you a -ero2G ride+ though it i" a bit e3pen"ive% *hi" lab ill have you ta!e a loo! at the parabolic path to try to determine the ma3imum altitude the plane reache"% Fir"t+ you ill or! ith data given about the parabola to come up ith a 4uadratic model for the flight% *hen you ill or! to find the ma3imum value of the model% 'o for the data5

Height of a Zero-G Flight t Seconds After Starting a Parabolic Flight Path *ime t in "econd" Height h in feet , ,7869 ,0 7,019 60 77:19

*o find the 4uadratic model+ you ill be plugging the data into the model % *he data point" given are ju"t li!e 3 and y value"+ here the 3 value i" the time t in "econd" and the y value i" the altitude h in feet% Plug the"e into the model and you ill get e4uation" ith a+ b and c%
Part 15 ;rite your 7 by 7 "y"tem of e4uation" for a+ b+ and c%

6a < ,b < c = ,7869 600a < ,0b < c = 7,019 1800a < 60b < c = 77:19

Part ,5 (olve thi" "y"tem% >o all computation" on a "eparate "heet of paper ?Attach "upporting document"@% a= 210 b= 8A9 c= ,,719

Part 75 B"ing your "olution" to the "y"tem from part , to form your 4uadratic model of the data%

h = 210t, < 8A9t < ,,719

Part 65 Find the ma3imum value of the 4uadratic function% >o all computation" on a "eparate "heet of paper ?Attach "upporting document"@%

t = C,%9CA9

Part 9: Use the graphing program youve installed to graph the parabola obtained in Part 7% 0opy and pa"te it into thi" document% &e "ure to "et the a3e" to the proper "cale "o that you "ee the verte3 and 3 and y intercept"%

Part 85 )eflective ;riting%

>id thi" project change the ay you thin! about ho math can be applied to the real orld# ;rite one paragraph "tating hat idea" changed and hy% If thi" project did not change the ay you thin!+ rite ho thi" project gave further evidence to "upport your e3i"ting opinion about applying math% &e "pecific%

*hi" project really made me thin! about ho u"eful math can be hen applied in the real orld% ItD" e"pecially u"eful to "ee the graphical repre"entation of calculation" "uch a" ith the parabolic flight path in thi" project% Given ju"t a fe piece" of data e are able to calculate "o much information% I can "ee ho it ould be "o u"eful in all !ind" of different "cientific application"% I am ama-ed at the

ver"atility of the different mathematical formula"+ "uch a" the 4uadratic formula% Even though many people go through their live" ithout per"onally u"ing advanced mathematic"+ they certainly benefit from all the technological advance" it ha" made po""ible%