Conic Sections

 

 

 

     Without parabolas, the Eiffel Tower would not be standing! This specific conic is observed in the Eiffel Tower all around. Four parabolas are created given the four "legs" of the structure. With two of those "legs" side by side, they form one individual parabola, making an upside down "U" shape. In this specific parabola, the vertex is in the middle arch of the upisde down "U". Given that, it is easy to infer that the axis of symmetry runs straight down a point on the x-axis.

    The significance of the parabolas is its ability to hold up the 324 meter tower. This important figure would not be all that it is had it been built any differently! Not only does the Eiffel Tower serve as a place for tourists to visit and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings, but it also serves as a symbol for Paris, and is often a symbol to represent all of France. This monument attracts millions of people per year and has been able to claim its importance by becoming one of the country's most legendary and recognized monuments. Without the magic of parabolas, such history would not have been made! Even more so, Paris would not be as famous and would lose much of its fame without such a beautiful site. So, without the Eiffel Tower, business would be lost. On the first and second floors there are restaurants that would not obtain money. The third floor shows the city of lights which most people go to see so they pay admission. Without the Eiffel Tower, millions of dollars would not be spent over year. Just as tourists wish to visit this site as it is important to them to live such an amazing experience, those that work for the Eiffel Tower are grateful to be in business and have jobs! Also, most people thought that the tower was extremely tall and would fall over under the condition of strong winds, but by using these parabolas, winds are uncapable of doing that.

     

 

 

 

 

 

     When jumping out of the water, dolphins are always forming parabolas! By viewing this picture, people can observe and identify this conic section easily. From the time the dolphin jumps out of the water (head first) to the the time it lands back in the water (head first), another upside down parabola is formed. The vertex of this parabola also happens to cut through the middle arch of the "U" and the axis of symmetry cuts right through the x-axis. 

     The significance of a dolphin forming a parabola is actually much more complex then anyone could ever imagine! There are several reasons to why dolphins jump out of the water, yet most individuals did not know dolphins jumping had a purpose behind it. Scientists believe one purpose could be to conserve energy. This is because swimming through water takes much more time and effort whereas by jumping, dolphins will be able to preserve their energy and travel farther distances. Others believe dolphins' parabola shaped jumps is due to them trying to locate distant sources of food. Other scientists even think its a way for dolphins to communicate with one another or even to just have fun. Although there is no definite cause as to why dolphins jump, it is guranteed that dolphins' life spans would not be that long has they not had the ability to form parabola shaped jumps, and therefore this conic is significant to dolphins and studies about dolphins.

 

 

 

 

     

      Most people would probably find it hard to believe that there is a parabola on airplanes. The parabola can be observed at the very front of the airplane also known as the "nose" of the airplane. It is known to be a parabola because of its "U" shape. Just like every other example, the vertex would fall in the middle arch of the "U" but this time, the axis of symmetry could fall in different places. The reason to this being is the parabola can be viewed from many different perspectives meaning that the parabola can open to the left side, right side, up side, or lastly down side. 

     The significance of the parabola on this particular airplane is its capability to resist wind. By resisting wind, not only can planes move at faster speeds easily, but also is what helps planes fly in the sky! The signficance of this example goes beyond compare as it is a courtesy to people that take trips often in planes. Airplanes would not exist or preform its job correctly had there been no parabola involved in its creation! To have no airplanes in this world would be crazy to think about because it would affect everybody daily. People would not get to see their families, travel the world, go on vacation, take business trips, move to another state, and much more. Overall, this parabola is probably one of the most helpful as it advanced human technology and allowing individuals to go wherever they want and whenever they want.