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.


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