The Parabola
By: Kimberly Young
A parabola is the set of points equidistant
from a line, called the directrix, and a fixed point, called the
focus. Lets us consider a focus that is not on a line. Below is
a parabola that was constructed with a given point, F, for the
focus and a line for a directrix.
I. Click Here
to open a GSP window. The animation button will generate a parabola.
II. Click
Here to open a GSP window. The animation button will trace
the tangent line at the constructed point.
III. Click Here
to open a GSP window. The parabola was constructed using the locus
command from the constructed point, B.