\r\n" );
document.write( "We must graph it and know some facts about the graph \r\n" );
document.write( "and the equation of a parabola.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "We plot the focus (a point) and the directrix (a line) in green:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "We draw a line from the focus perpendicular to the directrix,\r\n" );
document.write( "and find the midpoint.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "The midpoint of that line is the vertex of the parabola.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "We can tell from the graph that the vertex is (-1,5.5),\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
the vertex is
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Next draw two squares, one on each side of that line, with\r\n" );
document.write( "that line as their common side:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Skwtch the parabola through the vertex and the left and right\r\n" );
document.write( "bottom corners of those two squares:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "The equation of a parabola that opens vertically is\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Where the vertex is (h,k) =
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "and p is the positive distance from the vertex to the focus, \r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "so
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "and if the parabola opens positive the sign is taken + and if \r\n" );
document.write( "the parabola opens downward the sign is taken negative. \r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "This parabola opens downward, so we use the - sign.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "So the equation is:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "which simplifies to:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "
\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Edwin
\n" );
document.write( "