SOLUTION: The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting the cables are 500 feet apart and 60 feet high. If the cables touch the road surface midway
Algebra.Com
Question 1072237: The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting the cables are 500 feet apart and 60 feet high. If the cables touch the road surface midway between the towers, what is the height of the cable at a point 125 feet from the middle of the bridge?
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting the cables are 500 feet apart and 60 feet high. If the cables touch the road surface midway between the towers, what is the height of the cable at a point 125 feet from the middle of the bridge?
-----
Sketch that figure on an x/y coordinate plane.
---
Let the cable touch the road at (0,0)
You have two points of the parabola:: (-250,60) and (250,60)
-----
Equation form of the parabola::
y = a*x^2
60 = a*250^2
a = 0.00096
----
Equation of the parabola::
y = 0.00096x^2
----
Your problem::
Height at 125 ft
y = 0.00096*125^2 = 15 ft
------------------
Cheers,
Stan H.
------------
RELATED QUESTIONS
The cabels of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
A suspension bridge has two supporting towers and cables secured at either end of the... (answered by ikleyn)
The recently made suspension bridge cables in New Bataan Hydro plant
are in the shape of (answered by ikleyn)
The cabels of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting... (answered by solver91311)
towers of suspension bridge are 500 feet apart and extend 100 feet above the road... (answered by lwsshak3)
In a suspension bridge the shape of the suspension cables is parabolic. The bridge shown (answered by lwsshak3)
center oA suspension bridge has twin towers that are 1300 feet apart. Each tower extends... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
The cables of a suspension bridge are in the shape of a parabola. The towers supporting... (answered by Alan3354)
The cables supporting a straight line suspension bridge are nearly parabolic in shape.... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)