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MATHEMATICIAN

DATE

BAND

PARABOLAS
ADV PRECALCULUS | PACKER COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

In class, we previously saw how you can create a parabola from only a single point and a line. We call this point the
focus and the line the directrix. Previously you had only seen parabolas as the graphs of the algebraic equation

y = ax 2 + bx + c but now we see they have a beautiful geometric aspect! Now today, instead of starting with a point and
a line and finding the parabola they create, were going to start with a parabola and find the point and line that create it!
This is the backwards question.
1. Were going to start fairly simple. Were going to assume our parabola has its vertex at the origin.1 Okay, lets have the
parabola y = 0.2x 2 .
Let us call the height of the focus (above the origin) p.
(a) In the diagram below, label the coordinates of the focus, write the equation of the directrix, and find the coordinates
of the drawn point on the directrix (the drawn point is directly below the point (4,3.2).

If the parabola doesnt go through the origin, what were doing will still work. All you have to do is take your parabola, translate it
so that the parabolas vertex is at the origin. Then you find the focus and directrix as were learning to do today. And then finally we
translate the parabola back to its original position making sure you also translate the focus and directrix. See?! Simple!

(b) Now based on the work we did previously, we know that two distances must be equal for us to have a parabola with a
particular focus and directrix. Find those distances, set them equal to each other, and solve for p.




















2. As noted parabola in the previous question was y = 0.2x 2 .
Find the focus and directrix of the new parabola y = 0.2(x 2)2 3 . If you get stuck, read the footnote on the previous
page.

3. Now were going to solve this problem generally. Again we are given a parabola with vertex at the origin. This time, we
dont know the precise equation we are going to try to come up with a general formula for any parabola with vertex at
the origin. So I suppose the best I can say is the equation is y = ax 2 (where a is some non-zero number).

We are trying to find the vertex and directrix. But since we dont know the equation, the best we can do is say that some
randomly chosen point (X,Y) exists on this parabola.


(a) As before, let us call the height of the focus (above the origin) p. In the diagram above, label the coordinates of the
focus, write the equation of the directrix, and find the coordinates of the drawn point on the directrix (the drawn point is
directly below the randomly chosen point (X,Y).
(b) Find p.











3

(c) Wait a second Wait a golly gee second! I know more information about my parabola. The randomly chosen point isnt
(X,Y). If I know the x-coordinate, I also know the y-coordinate.

Instead of (X,Y), I can write the point on the parabola as (X, _______).

Now that weve done that, rethink the formula for p.



(c) Now lets move the parabola. So instead of y = ax 2 we have y = a(x h)2 + k .
What is the new focus and the new directrix?








4. (a) Find the focus and directrix of the parabola y = 2x 2 .




(b) Find the focus and directrix of the parabola y = 2(x + 1)2 3



5. Find the focus and directrix of the parabola: y = 0.3x 2 + 1.2x 1

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