Parabolas
Name: ________________________
A parabola is a curved line which follows the rule y = x2. A parabola has many
interesting properties, one of the most important of which is its ability to focus light
rays. Satellite dishes are parabolic. Where else might you find them?
A. Fill in the tables below.
y = x2
x
-5
-4
-3
-2
y
y = 14 x2
x
y
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
1
y = 10
x2
x
-5
y
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
B. Graph the results on a sheet of graph paper on the same set of axes. Join the dots with a smooth
curve. All of these curves are parabolas. Use three different colour pencils and label each line.
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