Question

An engineer designs a satellite dish with a parabolic cross-section. The dish is 5 m wide at the opening and the focus is placed 1.2 m from the vertex. Find the depth of the satellite dish at the vertex

Answer 1

Use the point (x₁, 2.5) in (1)

(2.5)² = 4(1.2)x₁

`(2.5)^2/(4(1.2))` = y₁

x₁ = 1.3 m

∴ The depth of the satellite dish at vertex is 1.3 m