parabolas
how do you find the equation for a parabola. is it y^2=4px? what is the p? i dont understand! also how do you find the focus and directrix?
posted by Anonymous at 1:01 PM
Blog for students in Mr. Karafiol's Period 4 Precalculus BC class to talk about math, learning math, etc.
posted by Anonymous at 1:01 PM
3 Comments:
"P" is simply the distance from the vertix of the parabola to the focus, and in the opposite direction to the directrix.
In addition, the focus of a parabola with an equation of x^2=4py (0, p), and its directrix is y=-p; the focus of a parabola with an equation of y^2=4px is (p,0), and the directrix is x=-p.
Page 632 on the text book can give you more information about parabolas.
also, parabolas with the equation y^2=4px open up horizontally either left or right depending on the sign of y and parabolas with the equation x^2=4py open vertically
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