Construct a Parabola

This is an applet to construct a parabola from its definition. If needed, Free graph paper is available. Definition: A parabola is the set of all points M in a plane such that the distance from M to a fixed point F, the focus, is equal to the distance from M to a fixed line called the directrix.

The axis of the parabola is the line through F and perpendicular to the directrix. Point V on the axis and halfway between the focus F and the directrix is called the vertex. It can be shown that the equation of a parabola with a horizontal axis and opening towards increasing x values is given by: y2 = 4ax where a is a constant. For a deeper understanding of the equation of a parabola Go here. Follow the steps in the tutorial below to construct a parabola using the above definition. The equation is used to verify the construction of the parabola. Examples of applications of the parabolic shape as Parabolic Reflectors and Antennas are included. Your browser is completely ignoring the <APPLET> tag! TUTORIAL 1 - click on the button above "click here to start" to start the applet and MAXIMIZE the window obtained. The slider in the top left panel can be used to change the value of a, do not use it now, a=1. 2 - Before you start the construction, note the following. The directrix: vertical line at x = -1. The vertex: point V at (0,0). The focus: point F at (1,0). A marker: point M at (1,2), this point can be moved around freely. Point D on the directrix and has the same y-coordinate as point M. The distances d(F,M) and d(D,M) are both equal to 2. (their values and the coordinates of points M and D are displayed on the top left of the main panel). 3 - Construction: a - Start by pressing the button "Plot Points", this will plot point M (in blue) as an element of the set of points whose distances from the directrix and the focus are equal. b - Drag point M horizontally to a new position. Note the distance d(D,M). c - Now drag point M vertically untill the distances d(D,M) and d(F,M) are equal or close in value. d - Now press the button "Plot Points" to plot this point. 4 - Drag point M to a new position and repeat step 3 to plot another point. 5 - Repeat step 4 as many times as you can to plot points whose distances from the vertex and the focus are equal. 6 - You may also want to plot points in quadrant IV. 7 - Once you have enough points plotted, press the button "Plot/Delete Parabola" to plot the whole parabola in order to verify that all points whose distances from the vertex and the focus are equal, can be described by one single equation given above with a = 1. You may also want to drag point M along the parabola and see that the distance from M to F is equal (or very close) to the distance from M to the directrix.

8 - Use the slider to change the value of a. How does the coordinates of the focus F change? How does the directrix (vertical line) change? Find the coordinates of the focus F and the equation of the directrix (vertical line) in terms of a. 9 - Use the slider to change a (a = 2 for example), delete the points and the parabola and repeat the steps to plots points and then the parabola. 9- Exercise: Sketch a parabola on paper. Draw a line through the focus F that is perpendicular to the axis of the parabola. This line intersect the parabola at two points M and N. Show that distance d(M,N) is equal to twice the distance from F to the directrix

Geometry of the Parabola (2D)

by Henri Picciotto Parabolas are a central topic in high school algebra classes, but, perhaps because of the rigid separation between algebra and geometry classes in the US secondary curriculum, we do not usually treat them as geometric objects. While most teachers are aware of some of the parabola's geometric properties, few of us are familiar with the proofs of those properties. On this page, I present the basic geometry of the parabola: Geometric Definition Construction Reflection Property All Parabolas are Similar and on the next page: Conic Section

Geometric Definition
Definition: A parabola is the set of points in the plane that are equidistant from a point (the focus) and a line (the directrix.) The following exercise should help convince you that this definition yields the parabolas you are familiar with.

Exercise: Given a focus at (0,1) and a directrix y=-1, find the equation of the parabola. How to do it: draw a figure showing a generic point P on the parabola, with coordinates (x,y). Calculate its distance to the focus, its distance to the directrix, set those equal, and simplify. Or, for a more general result, do this exercise for a focus at (0,f) and a directrix y=-f.

Construction
Given the focus (F) and directrix (d), here is a method to construct any number of points on the parabola: choose a point T on d. Construct the perpendicular bisector of TF. Construct the perpendicular to d through T. The intersection of these two lines (P) is a point on the parabola. (Make sure you understand why.) Exercise: With the help of dynamic geometry software, construct P as outlined above, then trace P as T moves, or create its locus, which is the parabola. [The figure above was created in Cabri. You can drag F or T. To replay the construction step by step, doubleclick it and use the toolbar that appears at the bottom.] Low-tech alternative / prequel: Use this focus-directrix graph paper to construct points on a parabola by hand. Select a line to be the directrix, and use the graph paper lines to find points equidistant from it and the vertex. Extra Challenges (using interactive geometry software): Find other constructions of the parabola, given focus and directrix. (Download one solution in Cabri. If you send me your Sketchpad constructions, I'll post them here and credit you.) Construct a parabola given its axis of symmetry, its vertex, and one other point on it.

Reflection Property
A light ray originating at the focus will be reflected on the parabola and continue in a direction parallel to the axis of symmetry. Likewise, a light ray coming in parallel to the axis of symmetry will be reflected to hit the focus. That this works is readily proved using the above construction, if you assume a basic fact from optics: the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. The key to the proof is realizing that MP must be tangent to the parabola. Indeed, if it intersected it again at a point P', that point would be equidistant from F and T, but it would necessarily be further

from or closer to d, and thus could not be on the parabola -- a contradiction. So P' cannot exist, and MP is a tangent. Exercise: Prove the reflection property of the parabola, assuming that the angles of incidence and reflection are determined with respect to the tangent to the parabola at the point of incidence. This property is of course the basis of many applications (headlights, flashlights, satellite dishes, radar...) For example, here is a diagram of how this works in a reflector telescope:

The primary mirror is parabolic, reflecting the parallel rays to the focus. The secondary (flat) mirror redirects this towards the eyepiece.

All Parabolas are Similar

Like squares and circles, unlike rectangles and ellipses, all parabolas are similar. They cannot be "pointier" or "wider". They all have exactly the same shape, which appears "pointier" from afar, and "wider" when looked at in the neighborhood of the vertex. Unfortunately, many of us have misled many students by implying otherwise: we often claim that changing the value of a in the formula y=ax2 changes the shape of the parabola. In fact, many teachers believe this to be true. Here are three types of arguments to show it is a misunderstanding. Algebraic Argument: y=ax2 ay=a2x2 ay=(ax)2 In other words, in the equation y=x2, both x and y have been multiplied by the same number a. The parabola is scaled with no distortion. Geometric Argument: Since the directrix is infinite, moving the focus has no effect on the parabola's shape. It is merely zooming in or out on one shape.

Visual Argument: Same equation, apparently different shapes:

(Dan Bennett suggests a dramatic illustration of this: make a transparency of a figure like the one above. Project it. Use another transparency to trace a piece of the projection, like the one below. Compare the two transparencies, which seem to have very different shapes, but clearly must represent the same equation.)

Different equations, identical shape:

In fact, you can see for yourself: in the Cabri applet below, drag the axes' unit (initially "0.2") left or right on the x-axis, and watch the "a" in the equation change while the parabola's shape remains absolutely constant

Assignment 6: "Parabola Construction"

by

Margo Gonterman
A parabola is the set of all points that are the same distance from a line, called the directrix, and a point, called the focus. Parabola Construction
- Construct a line that will be the directrix - Construct a point not on the line to be the focus - Construct a free point P on the directrix - Construct a line through P that is perpendicular to the directrix

- Connect P and the focus. - Construct the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting P and the focus through the midpoint M. - Mark the intersection of the perpendicular bisector and the line perpendicular to the directrix through P as X.

-X will trace the parabola as P moves along the directrix - Line XM is the line tangent to the parabola Therefore: PM=FM Angle PMX=Angle FMX since they are both right angles - By SAS (side-angle-side), the two triangle are congruent. Specifically, segment PX=segment FX - PX is the distance between X and the directrix. - FX is the distance between X and the focus.

Therefore the point X is equidistant from the focus and the directrix.

Proof that Construction Satisfies Definition

- Consider triangle PMX and triangle FMX. - Segment XM is common to both triangles. - Line XM is the perpendicular bisector of line PF. Therefore: PM=FM Angle PMX=Angle FMX since they are both right angles - By SAS (side-angle-side), the two triangle are congruent. Specifically, segment PX=segment FX - PX is the distance between X and the directrix. - FX is the distance between X and the focus. Therefore the point X is equidistant from the focus and the directrix

Here is the problem: Given a point on the curve A, and the slope of the tangent at that point, (AC) and a second point on the curve B, construct (in the classical sense) additional points on the parabola... C was place above B by chance, and can be anywhere along the tangent. I have placed the problem on a coordinate grid to present it as a function of x, but the actual coordinates of the points have no influence on the construction, although it is assumed that you know the direction of the axis of symmetry (in this case, vertical).

The calculus student in you might want to attack this analytically, but time for that later. Let me show you the Geometric method of Archimedes. We begin by constructing a vertical line through B, and selecting a point D, somewhere along this line . Through this point draw another line parallel to the tangent and a second through point A. Finally draw a secant AB of the parabola.

And then the final act. Mark the point where the parallel to the tangent intersects the secant AB. From this point, extend a vertical line to find the point where it intersects AD.

This final point P is on the parabola AB with a tangent of AC at A, and it will be for whatever point D you picked originally.

With straight edge and compass, you would have to pick a new point D, then recreate another parallel to the tangent, find another intersection at E, and then vertically transfer that up to the line AD for each new point. But with Geogebra, you can construct, and then just move D and watch P trace out the parabola.

So NOW lets do a little calculus. If the original points are at (0,0) [why not] and (p,q) and the slope of the tangent is m, then we need to find A, and B (C=0 by a clever choice of coordinates) for the parabola y= Ax2 + Bx. We also know that at x= 0, dy/dx = m so 2Ax +B = m so B must be the slope m. Now we just need to fill in y= Ax2 + mx and passing through (p,q). This gives us q = Ap2+mp and we can solve for A = (q-mp)/p2. With my selected easy values of m=1 and (p,q) = (4,1) we see that y= -3x2/16 + x . Two more nice problems for Calculus students that point out things that are easy not to notice in the rush to memorize rules and such..

PROVE each: 1) If you draw to tangents to a parabolic function, the x-coordinates of their intersection is the arithmetic average of the x-coordinates of the two points of tangency. 2) If you draw the tangents to any parabola at the endpoints of the latus-rectum, they will always be perpendicular.