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| Question 1167899:  Please answer this question, I tried but I don't understand it.
 Suppose a designer of a 10 ft. parabolic solar cooker wants to place the cooking pot 5 ft. above the vertex. For reference, the first considers a parabolic string with a base 10 ft. and a focus at 5 ft.from the vertex. How deep is the parabolic solar cooker?
 Thank you for your help!
 Answer by ikleyn(52879)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! . Please answer this question, I tried but I don't understand it.
 Suppose a designer of a 10 ft. parabolic solar cooker wants to place the cooking pot 5 ft. above the vertex.
 For reference, the first considers a parabolic string with a base 10 ft. and a focus at 5 ft. from the vertex.
 How deep is the parabolic solar cooker?
 Thank you for your help!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 In this problem, you are given the size 10 ft of the opening of the parabolic solar cooker,
 and the distance 5 ft from the vertex to the focus of the paraboloid (same as the place for cooking).
 
 They want you find the depth of the parabolic mirror.
 
 
 S O L U T I O N
 
 
 
To solve such problems,  use an equation of the parabolic cross-section (which is a parabola)
in the form
    y =  .    (1)
In this form, 'p' is the focal distance, i.e. the distance of 5 ft from the vertex 
to the cooking place;  x is half of the opening, i.e. 10/2 = 5 ft;  y is the depth of the paraboloid.
So, we substitute  p = 5 ft  and  x = 5 ft  into equation (1), and we get
    y =  =  =  ft = 1  ft.
At this point, the problem is completely solved.
ANSWER.  The depth of the paraboloid is 1  ft.Solved.
 
 
 
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