SOLUTION: Please help me: A satellite dish shaped like a parabola is 12 feet across and 4 feet deep. How high above the base dish should the receiver be placed if it is located at the foc

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
picture the parabolic cross-section starting at the origin and extending along the x-axis

the vertex (bottom of the dish) is (6,-4); and the roots are 0 and 12

using the vertex form ___ y = a(x - 6) - 4

0 = a(0 - 6)^2 - 4

4 = 36a ___ a = 1/9

a = 1 / 4p ___where p is the distance from the vertex to the focus

p = 1 / 4a ___ in this case ___ p = 9/4

so the receiver is 9/4 feet above the bottom of the dish