Parabola

Week 2
 Parabola

• A parabola is the
conic section whose
eccentricity is 1.
 Parabola

• It is the locus of
points which are
equidistant from a
fixed point and a
fixed line.
 Parabola

• A parabola is the locus of all

points in the plane whose
distances from a fixed point F
and a fixed line l ( not passing
through F ) are the same. The
fixed point is called the focus,
while the fixed line is called
the directrix. (Gabriel, 2016
 Parabola
• A parabola is a set of all
points P such that its
distances from 𝐹 (focus)
and from l (fixed line called
directrix) are the same.
Note that 𝐹 is a given point
in a plane, and l is a given
line not containing 𝐹
 Parabola
• A parabola always opens in
the direction where the focus
is situated (hence the name
“focus”). That is, the focus is
always on the concave side
(the “inside”, the enclosing
side) or, in more dramatic
terms, a parabola always
“devours” its focus
 Parabola

• The segment having

endpoints on the parabola
passing through the focus (𝐹)
and parallel to the directrix l is
called the parabola’s latus
rectum.
 Parabola

• The vertex (𝑉) of the parabola

is where the axis always hit
the parabola at exactly one
point.
 Parabola

• The line that passes through

the focus (𝐹) and is
perpendicular to the directrix l
is called the axis of the
parabola.
Derivation of the
equation of Parabola

• Let us denote the undirected

distance from the vertex to the
focus by the letter p, p will
always be considered as positive.
Consider the vertex of the
parabola to be at the origin and
the focus at (p,0). The x – axis
will be the axis of the parabola
and the line x = -p will be the
directrix.
Derivation of the
equation of Parabola

• Take a point P (x,y) on the

parabola. By definition,
FP = SP

Squaring both sides and

simplifying,
Standard equation of a parabola with
vertex at the origin, axis on the x-axis,
focus at (p,0), directrix at x = -p and
opening to the right. When x = p, y =
2p. The length of the latus rectum is
therefore equal to 4p.
 Standard equation of PARABOLA
2 2
𝑦 = 4 𝑝𝑥 𝑦 =− 4 𝑝𝑥
• Vertex - at the origin • Vertex - at the origin
• Axis - x – axis • Axis - x – axis
• Focus - (p, 0) • Focus - ( - p, 0)
• Directrix - at x = - p • Directrix - at x = p
• Opening - to the right • Opening - to the left
 Standard equation of PARABOLA
2 2
𝑥 = 4 𝑝𝑦 𝑥 =− 4 𝑝𝑦
• Vertex - at the origin • Vertex - at the origin
• Axis - y – axis • Axis - y – axis
• Focus - (0, p) • Focus - ( 0, - p)
• Directrix - at y = - p • Directrix - at y = p
• Opening - upward • Opening - downward
 Properties of parabola:

• A parabola is symmetric with respect to its axis.

• If the equation of a parabola contains y² term then the axis of symmetry is
along the x-axis and vice versa.
• When the axis of symmetry is along the x-axis, then the parabola opens to
the left if 𝑎 < 0, or to the right if 𝑎 > 0.
• When the axis of symmetry is along the y-axis, then the parabola opens up
if 𝑎 > 0, or down if 𝑎 < 0.
 TRUE or FALSE. Write “T” if the statement is true, and “F” if the statement is false.

1. A latus rectum is a segment on the parabola passing through the focus (F) and perpendicular to the
directrix.
2. The focus and directrix are units above and below the vertex.
3. The distances of the point P from the focus and from the directrix are equal.
4. The vertex is the point midway between the focus and the directrix.
5. If the parabola opens downward, the vertex is the lowest point. If the parabola opens upward, the
vertex is the highest point.
6. The directrix is c units below or above the vertex.
7. The focus is c units above or below the vertex.
8. Any point on the parabola has the same distance from the focus as it has from the directrix.
9. The latus rectum is a line that divides the parabola into two parts that passes through the focus which
results to mirror images of each other.
10.A latus rectum is a line on the parabola passing through the focus (F) and parallel to the directrix
Below is a table representation of the equations, graphs, and other properties of a parabola.
Complete the table by filling in the numbered cells what is missing.