SOLUTION: The cross section of a flashlight is a parabola. The bulb is at the focus. Suppose the bulb is located 1/4 in from the vertex of the reflector. The width of the cross section throu

Question 991228: The cross section of a flashlight is a parabola. The bulb is at the focus. Suppose the bulb is located 1/4 in from the vertex of the reflector. The width of the cross section through the bulb is 2 in. What is an equation for this parabola?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Try like this:
for vertex at the origin. A point on the parabola reflector is (1,1/4) using your second part of the description. That is 1 inch on each "side" in the cross section at the bulb. That makes the two inch cross section.

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, but this may not match the first part of the description for the bulb at the focus, inch from the vertex. Recheck your problem description to be sure.
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