Parabola
1) If the parabolic sound dish the sideline crew is holding has a 2 ft diameter at the
opening and the microphone is located 6in from the vertex, find the equation
that governs the center cross section of the parabolic sound dish.
Soln. The generating parabola is sketched on the xy -plane with opening to the right
and vertex at the origin (0 , 0) and axis along the x -axis.
The standard form is (.5,0)
2
y =4 ax ¿ (1)
where the focus is at (a ,0).
1
Given, the microphone is at the focus and is 6 in= 2 ft from the vertex.
So,
1 1
a= ft ¿ (2)Substitute a= into (1):
2 2
2 1
y =4( ) x = 2 x . y 2=2 x ¿ (ans)
2
2) The interior of a satellite TV antenna is a dish having the shape of a finite
paraboloid that has diameter 12 meters and is 2 meter deep. Find the distance
from the center of the dish to the focus.
Soln. The generating parabola is sketched on the xy -plane with opening to the
right and vertex at the origin (0 , 0) and axis along the x -axis.
(2,6
)
Standard form: y 2=4 ax where a(2,
is the
- vertex–to–focus distance.
6)
The dish has diameter 12ft ⇒radius 6ft, and depth 2ft. So, the points (2,-6) and
(2, 6) can be on the parabola
Substitute (2 , 6)into y 2=4 ax :
2 36
6 =4 a(2) ⇒ 36=8 a ⇒ a= =4.5 .
8
Therefore, the distance from the center (vertex) of the dish to the focus is 4.5 ft .
3) A satellite dish is shaped like a paraboloid of revolution. The signals that
emanate from a satellite strike the surface of the dish and are reflected to a
single point, where the receiver is located. If the dish is 8 feet across at its
opening and 3 feet deep at its center, at what position should the receiver be
placed? That is, where is the focus of focus?
Solution:
4) The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola, as shown in
the figure. The towers supporting the cable are 600 feet apart and 80 feet high.
If the cables touch the road surface midway between the towers, what is the
height of the cable from the road at a point 150 feet from the center of the
bridge?
Solution:
5) A bridge is built in the shape of a parabolic arch. The bridge has a span of 120
feet and a maximum height of 25 feet. Choose a suitable rectangular coordinate
system and find the height of the arch at distances of 10, 30 and 50 feet from
the center.
Solution:
6) In an underground mine, a ventilation duct is suspended by cables that naturally
take the shape of a parabola. The duct is supported by two walls that are 400 ft
apart and anchored at a height of 100 ft. At the midpoint between the walls, the
cable sags to a height of only 10 ft above the duct. What is the height of the
supporting cable at a point 50 ft horizontally away from the center of the
tunnel?
Solution:
7) The reflector of a flashlight is in the shape of a paraboloid of revolution. Its
diameter is 4 inches and its depth is 1 inch. How far from the vertex should the
light bulb be placed so that the rays will be reflected parallel to the axis?
Solution:
Ellipse
1) The whispering gallery in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago 47.3
feet long. The distance from the center of the room to the foci is 20.3 feet. Find
an equation that describes the shape of the room. How high is the room at its
center?
Soln. Set axes so the center of the room is at the origin and the major axis is
along the x-axis.
2 2
x y
Now, Equation of the ellipse: 2 + 2 =1
a b
Given, the room is 47.3 ft long ⇒ 2 a=47.3 ⇒ a=23.65 ft.
And the distance from the center to the focus is c=20.3 ft.
We know that, For an ellipse: c 2=a2−b 2 ⇒ b 2=a 2−c 2.
So compute b 2:
2 2
a =¿b =559.3225−412.09=147.2325 .
Equation of the room’s cross-section (shape):
2 2
x y
+ =1 .
559.3225 147.2325
Height of the room from its center is the semi-minor axis,
b=√ 147.2325 ≈12.13 ft
(ans)
2) Jim, standing at one focus of a whispering gallery, is 6 feet from the nearest
wall. His friend is standing at the other focus, 100 feet away. What is the length
of this whispering gallery? How high is its elliptical ceiling at the center?
Solution:
3) The arch of a bridge is a semi ellipse with a horizontal major axis. The span is
30 feet, and the top of the arch is 10 feet above the major axis. The roadway is
horizontal and is 2 feet above the top of the arch. Find the vertical distance from
the roadway to the arch at 5-foot intervals along the roadway.
Solution:
4) A bridge is built in the shape of a semielliptical arch. The bridge has a span of
120 feet and a maximum height of 25 feet. Choose a suitable rectangular
coordinate system and find the height of the arch at distances of 10, 30, and 50
feet from the center.
Solution:
5) A bridge is to be built in the shape of a semielliptical arch and is to have a span
of 100 feet. The height of the arch, at a distance of 40 feet from the center, is to
be 10 feet. Find the height of the arch at its center.
Solution:
6) Two monitoring boreholes are at the foci of an elliptical tunnel cross section.
The boreholes are 30 m apart, and one borehole is 2 m from the nearest inner
wall of the tunnel. Find the tunnel length and the ceiling height at center.
Solution:
7) Two underwater acoustic transducers are placed at the foci of an elliptical hull
cross section. The foci are 20 m apart. One transducer is 2 m from the nearest
inner hull surface (measured along the major axis). Find the hull length and the
center height.
Solution:
Hyperbola
1) Suppose that two people standing 1 mile apart both see a flash of lightening.
After a period of time, the person standing at point A hears the thunder. One
second later, the person standing at point B hears the thunder. If the person at
B is due west of the person at A and the lightning strike is known to occur
due north of the person standing at point A, where did the lightning strike
occur? (Sound travels at 1100 feet per second) (1 mile = 5280 feet)
Solution:
2) Some nuclear power plants utilize “natural draft” cooling towers, in the shape
of a hyperboloid, a solid obtained by rotating a hyperbola about its conjugate
axis. Suppose that such a cooling tower has a base diameter of 400 feet and
the diameter at its narrowest point, 360 feet above the ground, is 200 feet. If
the diameter at the top of the tower is 300 feet, how tall is the tower?
Solution:
3) Two Loran stations are located 200 miles apart along a coast. If a ship
records a time difference of 0.00043 seconds and continues on the hyperbolic
path corresponding to that difference, where does it reach shore? (Speed of
radio signal is 186,000mps, d=rt) (AB = 200 mi, t₂ – t₁ = 0.00043)
Soln Draw the xy-plane and place the LORAN stations corresponding to the
foci on the x-axis at A(−100, 0) and B(100, 0).
Time difference: t=0.00043 s.
Radio waves travel ≈ v=186,000 mi/s.
Distance difference of paths:
d=vt=186,000 × 0.00043=79.98 ≈ 80 mi .
For a hyperbola, the constant difference equals 2 a, so
2 a=80 ⇒ a=40.
Distances from the shore point P(40 , 0)
The ship hits the shore at the point (40 ,0) which is between the two loran
stations, 140 miles from A and 60 miles from B. (ans)
Extra: We know that, for a hyperbola, c 2=a2+ b2.
2 2 2 2 2
b =c −a =100 −40 =10,000−1,600=8,400.
Equation of the hyperbola:
2 2 2 2
x y x y
2
− 2 =1⇒ − =1.
a b 1600 8400
4) Suppose that two transmitting stations are positioned 50 km apart at points
F₁(25, 0) and F₂(–25, 0) on a straight shoreline in an xy-coordinate system.
Suppose also that a ship is traveling parallel to the shoreline but 100 km out
at sea. Find the coordinates of the ship if the stations transmit a pulse
simultaneously, but the pulse from station F₁ is received by the ship 100
microseconds sooner than the pulse from station F₂. (Assume that the pulses
travel at the speed of light, 3 × 10⁸ m/s.)
Solution:
5) Two recording devices are set 2400 feet apart, with the device at point A to
the west of the device at point B. At a point between the devices, 300 ft from
point B, a small amount of explosive is detonated. The recording devices
record the time until the sound reaches each. How far directly north of point
B should a second explosion be done so that the measured time difference
recorded by the devices is the same as that for the first detonation?
Solution: