APPLICATION

OF
PARABOLA
 SUSPENSION BRIDGES

• The parabolic shape of the cables along suspension

bridges help carry the forces acting on the bridge to
the top of the towers (which can usually stand
flexing, buckling, and oscillation)
 TRAJECTORIES

• Everything on the planet Earth is subject to

gravity. When on object is thrown or forced in
a direction not on the ground, eventually
gravity grabs it and drags it down. The path
the object follows it that of a Parabola.
 PATH OF A PROJECTILE
• Galileo found that all objects thrown form a parabolic
path, no matter what. He deduced this by the simple
observation of watching objects being thrown. Galileo is
responsible for the modern concepts of velocity and
acceleration to explain projectile motion that is studied
today: A projectile which is carried by a uniform
horizontal motion compounded with a naturally
accelerated vertical motion describes a path which is a
semi-parabola.
 HEATERS

• Heaters are sold which make use of the

reflection property of the parabola. The heat
source is at the focus and heat is concentrated
in parallel rays.
 PARABOLIC RECEIVERS

• A person who whispers at the focus of one of

the parabolic reflectors can be heard by a
person located near the focus of the other
parabola.
 PARABOLIC FLIGHT

• Parabolic flights reproduce gravity-free conditions in

an aircraft by alternating upward and downward arcs
interspersed with level flight. They provide a
microgravity environment for scientists to conduct
research without going into space.