Height of a Zero Gravity Parabolic

Flight
Math1010IntermediateAlgebraGroupProject

Your Name: Shelby Peterson

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to

float weightless in space? One way to try it out is
to fly on a special aircraft that astronauts use to
train for their trips to space. Both NASA and the
Russian Space Agency have been flying these for
years. The way this is accomplished is to fly to a
high altitude, drop down to gain speed, and then start a large parabolic path up in
the sky. For a time ranging from 10 to 20 seconds, along the top part of the
parabolic flight, an environment simulating zero gravity is created within the plane.
This effect can cause some nausea in the participants, giving rise to the name
Vomit Comet, the plane used by NASA for zero-G parabolic training flights.
Currently there is a private company that will sell you a zero-G ride, though it is a
bit expensive, around $5000.

This lab will have you take a look at the parabolic path to try to determine the
maximum altitude the plane reaches. First, you will work with data given about the
parabola to come up with a quadratic model for the flight. Then you will work to
find the maximum value of the model. Now for the data:

Height of a Zero-G Flight t

Seconds After Starting a
Parabolic Flight Path
Time t in
seconds 2 10 20
Height h in feet 30,506 31,250 29,300

To find the quadratic model, you will be plugging the data into the model
h=a t 2 +bt +c . The data points given are just like x and y values, where the x
value is the time t in seconds and the y value is the altitude h in feet. Plug
these into the model and you will get equations with a, b and c.

Part 1: Write your 3 by 3 system of equations for a, b, and c.

Equation 1: 30,506 = 4a + 2b + c

Equation 2: 31,250 = 100a + 10b + c

Equation 3: 29,300 = 400a + 20b + c

Part 2: Solve this system. Make sure to show your work.

Step One -Take away equation 1 from equation 2:

(30,506=4a+2b+c)(-1) +

(31,250=100a+10b+c)

Equation #5: 744=96a+8b

Step Two -Now we do the same thing with equations 2 and 3:

(31,250= 100a+10b+c) (-1)

(29,300 = 400a+20b+c)

Equation #6: -1,950=300a+10b

Step Three- We now have 2 new equations where c has been eliminated, we multiply equation
#5 by 8, and equation #6 by negative 10. We will then add those equations together to get rid of
b and then solve for a.

#5 : -1,950=300a + 10b * (8)

#6: 744= 96a + 8b * (-10)

= #5: -15,600= 2,400a + 80b

#6: -7,400+ -960a - 80b

= -23,040 = 1,440a Step Four: Now divide both sides by 1,440 to isolate a

= a = -16

Step Five: Substitute the a value in equation #6 to solve for b

744= 96(-16) + 8b

744= -1,536 + 8b

744=-1,536 + 8b = 2,280 = 8b Step Six: Divide both sides by 8

+1,536 +1,536 /8 /8
 b= 285
Step Seven: Now that we have the value for b, we substitute the value in Equation #1 to solve
for the remaining value of c
30,506 = 4a + 2b + c
30,506 = 4(-16) + 2(285) + c
30,506 = -64 + 570 + c
30, 506 = 506c - subtract 506 from both sides to isolate c to find the value
-506 -506

c = 30,000

Now the solutions are:

a = -16
b = 285
c = 30,000 (Tested the solutions in each equation and they all verified as a valid set)

Part 3: Using your solutions to the system from part 2 to form your quadratic model
of the data.

F(x) = -16x^2 + 285x + 30,000

Part 4: Find the maximum value of the quadratic function. Make sure to show your
work.

Now to find x & y for the maximum value for the quadratic function by using the formula

[-b/2a, c - (b^2/4a)]

Plug in the values from the quadratic function:

-285/2(-16)

= -285/-32

Now divide -285 by -32 we get 8.90625 (which is the value for x) which is the maximum.

Plug in the values from the quadratic function into the rest of the formula to find the maximum
of y:

30,000 - (285^2/4(-16))
= 30,000 - (81,225/-64)

= 30,000 - (-1,269.140625)

= 30,000 + 1,269.140625

= 31,269.140625

The end result for the pair for x & y that come from plugging the values of the quadratic function
into the formula are:

x = 8.90625

y = 31,269.140625

Part 5: Sketch the parabola. Label the given data plus the maximum point. A good
way to start labeling your axes is to have the lower left point be (0, 25000)

Part 6: Reflective Writing.

Did this project change the way you think about how math can be applied to
the real world? Write one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why. If
this project did not change the way you think, write how this project gave
further evidence to support your existing opinion about applying math. Be
specific.

This project was really difficult for me, I struggle with math and all sorts of
applicable equations, even though it makes you use math in a way that is
realistic and shows how it can be applied. To me I feel like I get confused with
the wording and have a hard time setting up the equation to solve. This was
definitely interesting to figure out and set up. It did take quite a bit of time
along with quite a bit of work. It shows how it can be applied in physics or
engineering. Although, I will not be an engineer or a physicist its still a
complex way of thinking and its cool to see how it all plays out once you get
it set up. I havent ever necessarily questioned the usefulness of math or
havent appreciated the knowledge, I just feel like this type of math is a
waste on me when I wont ever use it myself.