APPLICATIONS OF

CONIC SECTIONS IN
REAL LIFE

Submitted to: Ms. Josefina de Castro

Submitted by: Adrien Joshua G.

Nepomuceno

August 30, 2017

 CIRCLE – APPLICATIONS

This image represents the application of

circle in real life. In order for the ball to go through,
the ring should be a circle shape because it is the
perfect size and has the perfect fit for the ball. The
ring is also a circle shape because it has no edges
that will make the player get hurt when dunking the
ball.

A basketball ring

The steering wheel of a car is round so that

your hands locate in the same place regardless of
the steering wheel’s orientation. While you are
steering you have the option to hold from any point
as the circle handle position remains the same and
it makes steering easier. Another reason why the
steering wheel of car is circular because there are
no edges to hit while turning/steering and the circle
position will remain the same.

Steering wheel

The shape of a Ferris wheel is circle. It also

carries more people because if it was any other
shape it would be harder for people to get on and
off. It is also easier to rotate by its central axis.
Another benefit of having a circular shape is that
there will be equal balance throughout the Ferris
wheel because any point of the circle is equal to its
center axis.

Ferris wheel
 PARABOLA – APPLICATIONS

This image represents a parabola in real

life. It is a swing made up of plastic and shaped to
resemble a parabola. It is shaped like a parabola
to make it easier and comfortable to sit in. Another
reason why it has a shaped like a parabola
because it is wider at the top meaning the person
sitting will not get hurt by the chains. It is also
attached to a chain which keeps the swing
balanced and upright.

A swing

Another application of a parabola is the

ball’s trajectory. A ball’s trajectory has a parabolic
shape because of the Earth’s gravity and the ball’s
momentum. The ball was thrown upward and
when it reaches its peak the ball was accelerated
by gravity. Any object that is thrown away forms a
parabolic-shaped trajectory.

A soccer ball’s trajectory

The car headlight has a parabolic mirror.

When the light is place in the focus of a parabolic
mirror, the light is reflected in lines parallel to the
axis (in straight lines). This is why the light beam
from the headlights of cars is so strong because all
of the lights are reflected toward the other
direction.

A car’s headlight
 ELLIPSE – APPLICATIONS

A badminton racket is an example of an ellipse.

It is shaped like an ellipse rather than a circle because
it has a larger area and allows the player to be a little
less cautious while hitting the shuttlecock. It also has
no edges that will likely hurt somebody. The ellipse
shape basically gives the max area of the racket
without making the racket so big.

A badminton racket

The moon’s orbit is an ellipse. The distance

from the Earth to the moon is different as the moon
travels in its orbit around us. Because of the elliptical
shape of the moon, we can see the moon in different
sizes. It is also responsible for the tides occurring here
on Earth.

The moon’s orbit on Earth

An example of an ellipse is an eyeglass. An

ellipse-shaped eyeglass is the perfect shape for the
eye. It is also has no sharp edges to make it
uncomfortable on the face. Most eyeglasses have an
ellipse-shapes frame because it is ideal for people
with square and diamond faces.

An eyeglass
 HYPERBOLA – APPLICATIONS

An example of a parabola is a sonic boom. As

the plane moves faster than the speed of sound, you
get a cone-like wave. Where the cone intersects the
ground, it is an hyperbola. The shockwave travels
backwards and outwards from the plane in a cone
that hits the ground in a hyperbolic curve. The sonic
boom hits every point on that curve at the same time.

Sonic boom generated by an aircraft

Another example of a hyperbola is the Kobe Port

Tower in Japan. This tower has a unique design because
the design of this building resembles a hyperbola. The
architecture of the Kobe Port Tower has an interesting
design because it is a hyperbola which is rarely
constructed on especially on towers.

Kobe Port Tower

A hyperbolic funnel is an example of a hyperbola.

Just as the name suggests it has a shape of a hyperbola.
It is designed as a funnel which you can insert your coins
and watch them fall slowly because of its momentum into
the funnel’s hole. This is happening because of the
hyperbolic shape of the funnel.

A hyperbolic funnel
Reflection: How are conic sections related to your life as a student?

Conic sections are used by architects and architectural engineers. They are everywhere in our
modern society. They can be seen in a wide variety of buildings. Most of them can be found in most
things we encounter every day. Parabolas can be seen from the tallest towers down to the smallest
arches. Ellipses are observed from the atomic level up to the space orbits. Circles can basically be
seen everywhere, from our city up to the farthest stars. Hyperbolas can also be found on the things
that we see every day like the ripples on water. Conic sections are helpful to us because it help us
see things differently. It helps us innovate the things we use every day. For example, bicycles help
me to go to a specific place without having to walk and consume more of my time. It is all possible
thanks for the circular gears and the elliptical chains that enables the bicycle to move on faster
speeds. Most of the gears on simple machines are also circular which enables it to produce
mechanical force. Another help of the circle is that it has less friction than any other shapes. Because
of that it has been used as wheels on cars and it really help us in transportation. I travel a lot in order
to go to my school. Before, In order to go to my school I had to change route because there is a river
blocking the route but nowadays with the aid of technology, many bridges were built to help us to go
to our desired place faster and more efficient than ever. Civil engineers design the bridges in a way
that it will be strong enough to go through the bodies of water while also allowing heavy vehicles to
pass through. That's why the bridges have a parabolic design. As a player, calculating the ball's
trajectory is difficult but with the help of the conic sections we now know that any ball's trajectory here
on Earth have a parabolic shape because of the Earth's gravity. Another help of parabolas are
umbrellas. Because of the shape of parabolas, it is the perfect fit for us to keep us from getting wet
from the rain.

Conics are really important in our world. The main problem is that people don't notice that
conics are everywhere and all around us. Circles and parabolas are the two most common conics in
the real world. Conics are so significant that we even find them in the food we eat. Not only conics
appear in our world but they also help us as well. Hyperbolas have really helped us in the field of
astronomy. We may not know it but conic sections are everywhere. It has a significant effect on the
things we now use every day. Because of the discovery of the conic sections, we now have a better
understanding of our world.