Question

What is the length of the focal width?
x^2=12y

Answer 1

the only number you see

Answer 2

12?

Answer 3

yup

Answer 4

ooohhh ok but how?

Answer 5

i mean why?

Answer 6

the standard form is

\[x^2 = 4ay\]

you need to find a, the focal length...

the chor passing through the focus is called the focula chord or latus rectum

and has a length 4a

hope it helps

Answer 7

oops sorry for the typos...

focal chord...

Answer 8

guess that is just what it is called
if you have
\[(x-h)^2=4p(y-k)\] then the focal length is \(|4p|\)
oh maybe i had that confused with "focal width" @campbell_st am i wrong? it is 3 in this case?

Answer 9

oh yes, focal length, not focal width,
sorry

Answer 10

they are the same thing.... I just love the term latus rectum....

Answer 11

lol

Answer 12

focal length... is.. vertex to focus...

Answer 13

ok im starting to undertsand it more but this is helping out alot

Answer 14

so 12? lol

Answer 15

thats it...

Answer 16

thanks guys!!