SOLUTION: a roadway on a suspension bridge is held up by cables that are parabolic in shape. If the towers are 100ft high (as measured from the roadway) and the distance between the towers i

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Question 1079618: a roadway on a suspension bridge is held up by cables that are parabolic in shape. If the towers are 100ft high (as measured from the roadway) and the distance between the towers is 500ft, find the height of the cables above the roadway at a point 100ft from the towers.
Need help please, do not know how to set this problem up.
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You need 3 points to determine a parabola.
We know that at each tower the cable is 100 ft above the roadway.
That is 2 points.
An infinite number of parabolas go through those 2 points.
We need one more point.
Does the cable touch the roadway in the middle?