An aquarium wants to install a new fish tank with a parabolic glass dome fitted at its bottom to allow visitors to look at the marine life from below. The glass dome will be 60 feet in diameter and will have a depth of 4 feet. Find the equation of the parabolic cross-section of the dome.
y2 = 16/30(x)

y2 = 4/15(x)

y = 1/225(x^2)

y = 15/14(x^2)

y = 1/15(x^2)

Question

An aquarium wants to install a new fish tank with a parabolic glass dome fitted at its bottom to allow visitors to look at the marine life from below. The glass dome will be 60 feet in diameter and will have a depth of 4 feet. Find the equation of the parabolic cross-section of the dome.
y2 =	16/30(x)


y2 =	4/15(x)


y =	1/225(x^2)


y =	15/14(x^2)


y =	1/15(x^2)

amistre64 · Answer

well, if we want to match the directions exactly,  we want to move the 'parent' parabola around such that:

y = ax^2 + b  matches our design

60/2 = 30  so we want y=0 when x=30,  and y=-4  when x=0


-4 = a0^2 + b ,  can solve for b;  and then knowing b we can solve for a

amistre64 · Answer

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