Height of a Zero Gravity Parabolic Flight

Math 1010 Intermediate Algebra Group Project

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to float weightless in space? One way to
try it out is to fly on a special aircraft that astronauts use to train for their trips to space.
Both NASA and the Russian Space Agency have been flying these for years. The way this
is accomplished is to fly to a high altitude, drop down to gain speed, and then start a
large parabolic path up in the sky. For a time ranging from 10 to 20 seconds, along the
top part of the parabolic flight, an environment simulating zero gravity is created within
the plane. This effect can cause some nausea in the participants, giving rise to the name
Vomit Comet, the plane used by NASA for zero-G parabolic training flights. Currently
there is a private company that will sell you a zero-G ride, though it is a bit expensive.
This lab will have you take a look at the parabolic path to try to determine the maximum
altitude the plane reaches. First, you will work with data given about the parabola to
come up with a quadratic model for the flight. Then you will work to find the maximum
value of the model. Now for the data:

Height of a Zero-G Flight t Seconds After Starting a
Parabolic Flight Path

Time t in
seconds 2 20 40
Height h in
feet 23645 32015 33715

To find the quadratic model, you will be plugging the data into the model
h=at2+bt+c. The data points given are just like x and y values, where the x value is the
time t in seconds and the y value is the altitude h in feet. Plug these into the model and
you will get equations with a, b and c.

Part 1: Write your 3 by 3 system of equations for a, b, and c.

at +bt+c=h

1. a(2) + 2b + c =23,645 1. 4a + 2b + c =23,645
2. a(20) + 20b + c =32,015 2. 400a + 20b + c =32,015
3. a(40) + 40b + c =33,715 3. 1,600a + 40b + c =33,715




Part 2: Solve this system. Make sure to show your work.
1. 4a + 2b + c =23,645 -10(4a+2b+c=23,645) -40a - 20b - 10c =-
236,450
2. 400a + 20b + c =32,015 400a + 20b + c =32,015
360a + 0 - 9c =-204,435
eq4. 360a - 9c =-204,435

1. 400a + 20b + c =32,015 -2(4a+2b+c=23,645) -800a - 40b - 2c =-
64,030
2. 1,600a + 40b + c =33,715 1,600a + 40b + c =33,715
800a + 0 - c = -30,315
eq5. 800a - c = -30,315
eq4. 360a - 9c =-204,435 360a - 9c = -204,435
eq5. 800a c =30,315 -9(800a-c=30,315) -7200a +9c = 272,835
-6840a = 68,400
68,400/-6,840= a
a=-10
eq5. 800(-10) c =-30,315
-8000 -c =-30,315
-c=-30,315 + 8000
-c=-22,315 eq1. 4(-10) + 2b + 22,315 = 23,645
c=22,315 -40 + 2b + 22,315 = 23,645
+40 +2b -22,315 = 1370
b = 1,370/2
b = 685

Part 3: Using your solutions to the system from part 2 to form your quadratic model of
the data.
h = -10t+685t+22,315

Part 4: Find the maximum value of the quadratic function. Make sure to show your
work.
-685/-20= 34.25 Seconds
-10(34.25) + 685(34.25) + 22,315
-10(1,173.0625) + 23,461 + 22,315
-11730.625 +23,461 + 22,315
34,045.625 Altitude in feet


Part 5: Sketch the parabola. Label the given data plus the maximum point. A good way
to start labeling your axes is to have the lower left point be (0, 20000)



6.Reflective Writing

Math is all around us every day. From the moment we wake up we use math. An
example would be 2 scoops of coffee to 16 oz of water makes a great cup of coffee.
As we have grown older we forget to recognize how math is a part of our everyday
lives. This project is a great example and proof how math is applied to everyday life.
This project takes a quadratic equation and gives a real life example and provides a
visual experience to a graph in the form of a parabola. If we examine the graph for a
moment and use it in a different sense. Say it is a graph showing a persons energy
from the start of the day to the end. One may not take it so seriously and could argue
the validity of the graph. The example given in this project is perfect. It uses an
example of something that many of us have not personally experienced, it
challenges you to think how something like this could be possible. Math is the
answer, it is the proof, it provides exact evidence of the ride in a zero gravity
airplane. Being a thrill seeker myself I enjoyed learning how this experience is could
be created.