Parabola

Terminologies:

 directrix
o a line perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of a parabola; a line such that the ratio of
the distance between the points on the conic and the focus to the distance to the
directrix is constant
 focus (of a parabola)
o a fixed point in the interior of a parabola that lies on the axis of symmetry
 vertex (of a parabola)
o highest or lowest point, also known as the maximum or ... is the maximum or minimum
value of the parabola
 latus rectum
o the line segment that passes through the focus of a parabola parallel to the directrix,
with endpoints on the parabola
 parabola
o the set of all points ( x,y) in a plane that are the same distance from a fixed line, called
the directrix, and a fixed point (the focus) not on the directrix
PROBLEMS:
A. For the following exercises, determine whether the given equation is a parabola. If so, rewrite
the equation in standard form.

1. y2= 4-x2

2. y=4x2

3. 3x2−6y2=12

4. (y−3)2=8(x−2)

5. y2+12x−6y−51=0

B. For the following exercises, rewrite the given equation in standard form, and then determine
the vertex, focus and directrix of the parabola.

1.  x 2 − 17 = 8y + 39

2.  3x 2 + 72 = −72y

3.  60x – 80 = 3y 2 + 100

4.  −72 = 2y 2 – 16y − 20x

5. x 2 – 18y + 12x = 126

6. x2−4x+2y−6=0

7. 3y2−4x−6y+23=0

C. For the following exercises, find the equation of the parabola given information about its
graph.

1.  F(2, −1), V(−4, −1)

2. F(−3, 4), V(−3, 2)

3. F(−1, 4), V(7, 4)

4. F(1, 3), V(1, 6)

5. F(8, −3), V(8, −7)

6.  F(1, 2); opens down; contains point (7, 2)

 7.  F(−4, 0); opens down; contains (4, −15)

8. F(−5, −9); opens right; contains (10, −1)

9. Vertex is (√2, -√3), Focus (0, -√3)

10. Vertex (3,0); axis of symmetry, x=3, directrix, y=-1

D. Answer the following problems.

1. If the equation of a parabola is written in standard form and p is positive and the directrix is a
vertical line, then what can we conclude about its graph?

2. If the equation of a parabola is written in standard form and p is negative and the directrix is a
horizontal line, then what can we conclude about its graph?

3. What is the effect on the graph of a parabola if its equation in standard form has increasing
values of p?

4. As the graph of a parabola becomes wider, what will happen to the distance between the focus
and directrix?

5. Find the equation of the tangent line to:

a. y = x2 at the point (1,1)
b. x2 = -2y at the point (-4,-8)
1 2 9
c. y= x at point (3 , )
4 4
d.  (x + 6)2 = 3(y – 2) at point (0, 14)
e. −0.25(x – 6)2 = y – 9 at point (10, 5)
6.  As a speed boat glides through the water, it creates a wake in the shape of a parabola.  The vertex of this parabola
meets with the stern of the boat. A swimmer on a wakeboard, attached by a piece of rope, is being pulled by the
boat. When he is directly behind the boat, he is positioned at the focus of the parabola. The parabola formed by the
wake can be modeled using y2 − 180x + 10y + 565 = 0, where x and y are measured in feet.
a. Write the equation in standard form.
b. How long is the length of rope attaching the swimmer to the stern of the boat?
7. An arch in a memorial park, having a parabolic shape, has a height of 25 feet and a base width of 30 feet. Find an
equation which models this shape, using the x-axis to represent the ground. State the focus and directrix.
8. A radio telescope has a parabolic dish with a diameter of 100 meters. The collected radio signals are reflected to
one collection point, called the "focal" point, being the focus of the parabola. If the focal length is 45 meters, find the depth of
the dish, rounded to one decimal place.

9. The equation    models cross sections of parabolic mirrors that are used for solar energy. There is a heating tube
located at the focus of each parabola; how high is this tube located above the vertex of its parabola?
10. A searchlight has a parabolic reflector (has a cross section that forms a “bowl”). The parabolic “bowl” is 16 inches wide
from rim to rim and 12 inches deep. The filament of the light bulb is located at the focus.  (a)  What is the equation of the
parabola used for the reflector?    (b)  How far from the vertex is the filament of the light bulb?
11. The cables of the middle part of a suspension bridge are in the form of a parabola, and the towers supporting the cable
are 600 feet apart and 100 feet high. What is the height of the cable at a point 150 feet from the center of the bridge? 
12. The main cables of a suspension bridge are 20 meters above the road at the towers and 4 meters above the road at the
center. The road is 80 meters long. Vertical cables are spaced every 10 meters. The main cables hang in the shape of a
parabola. Find the equation of the parabola. Then, determine how high the main cable is 20 meters from the center.
13. A satellite dish is shaped like a paraboloid of revolution. This means that it can be formed by rotating a parabola around
its axis of symmetry. The receiver is to be located at the focus. If the dish is 12 feet across at its opening and 4 feet deep at
its center, where should the receiver be placed?
14. An engineer designs a satellite dish with a parabolic cross-section. The dish is 15 ft. wide at the opening and the depth
is 4 feet. Find the position of the light source (the focus). How far is it from the deepest part of the dish?
15. A car headlight mirror has a parabolic cross section with diameter of 6 in, and a depth of 5 in. How far from the vertex
should the bulb be positioned if it is to be placed at the focus?
16. ) The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting the cable are 600 feet apart
and 80 feet high. If the cables touch the road surface midway between the towers, what is the height of the cable at a point
150 feet from the center of the bridge?
17. The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting the cable are 400 feet apart
and 100 feet high. If the cables are at a height of 10 feet midway between the towers, what is the height of the cable at a
point 50 feet from the center of the bridge?

ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS:

A.
1. No, it’s a circle
2. Yes, y=4x2
3. No
4. Yes, (y−3)2 = 8(x−2)
5. Yes, (y−3)2 = -12(x−5)

B.

1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

6.

7.

C.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

7.

8.

9.
10.

D.

1. The graph’s opening is upward.

2. The graph’s opening is upward.

3. It becomes wider as p increases.

4. The distance between the focus and directrix will increase.

5. a.

5.b. go to this link: https://youtu.be/JFRAqnJFoVA

5.c.

1. find the focus using the equation given. Focus is (0,1).

2. to find another point which satisfies the tangent line, find the distance of focus and the given point
earlier.
9
( )
F ( 0,1 ) ∧point 3 ,
4
2
9
d=
√(
d=3.25
4 )
−1 + ( 3−0 )2

3. Then, find another point by subtracting the distance got earlier to the focus. That point will be (0,-
2.25)
4. Then by two point form formula to get the equation of the line, find the equation of the line.
5d.

5e.
6.

7. For simplicity, I'll center the curve for the arch on the y-axis, so the vertex will be at (h, k) = (0,
25). Since the width is thirty, then the x-intercepts must be at x = –15 and x = +15. Obviously, this
is a regular (vertical) but upside-down parabola, so the x part is squared and I'll have a negative
leading coefficient.

Working backwards from the x-intercepts, the equation has to be of the form y = 

a(x – 15)(x + 15). Plugging in the known vertex value, I get:

25 = a(0 – 15)(0 + 15) = –225a

Then a = –1/9. With a being the leading coefficient from the regular quadratic
equation y = ax2 + bx + c, I also know that the value of 1/a is the same as the value of 4p, so 1/(–
1/9) = –9 = 4p, and thus p = –9/4.

The focus is 9/4 units below the vertex; the directrix is the horizontal line 9/4 units above the
vertex:

4p(y – k) = (x – h)2 
4(–9/4)(y – 25) = (x – 0)2 
 –9(y – 25) = x2 
focus: (0, 91/4), directrix: y = 109/4

You could also work directly from the conics form of the parabola equation, plugging in the vertex and
an x-intercept, to find the value of p:

4p(y – 25) = (x – 0)2 

4p(0 – 25) = (15 – 0)2 
4p(–25) = 225 
4p = –225/25 = –9 
p = –9/4 
8. To simplify my computations, I'll put the vertex of my parabola (that is, the base of the dish) at the
origin, so (h, k) = (0, 0). Since the focal length is 45, then p = 45 and the equation is:

4py = x2 
4(45)y = x2 
180y = x2

This parabola extends forever in either direction, but I only care about the part of the curve that
models the dish. Since the dish has a diameter of a hundred meters, then I only care about the part of
the curve from x = –50 to x = +50.

The height of the edge of the dish (and thus the depth of the dish) will be the y-value of the equation
at the "ends" of the modelling curve. The height of the parabola will be the same at either x-value,
since they're each the same distance from the vertex, so it doesn't matter which value I use. I prefer
positive values, so I'll plug x = 50 into my modelling equation:

180y = (50)2 
180y = 2500 
y = 250/18

...or about 13.9 meters.

9.
10.
11.

12.
13.

14.

15.
16.

17.