Examples of quadratic functions

Suspended cable carrying a load forms a parabolic curve.

Center to tower: 2100'. Road to top of tower: 525'. Assume vertex at origin. f(x)=.00019x2
Center to tower: 0.635km. Road to top of tower: .16km. Assume vertex at origin. f(x)=.397x2

Parabola with vertex (h,k) thru point (x0,y0):
y=a(x-h)2+k
1. Solve for a: a= (y0-k) / (x0-h)2
Then b = -2ah
c = ah2+k

Free fall.
Distance fall pulled down by gravity, as a function of time.
d=1/2 gt2
t is seconds.
g is a constant factor, on Earth equal to 9.8 (metric) or 32 (American). Gravity is an accelerating force: the speed (velocity) gets faster and faster. The velocity at any time t = gt (i.e. a linear function of t).
Falling
Air resistance is ignored (i.e. not taken into consideration, as if Earth had no atmosphere).
        Watch the hammer drop at 0:57

Go up, then fall down.
Height of an object shot straight up with different starting speeds, as a function of time.
d=-1/2 gt2+vot
vo is the initial velocity.
As usual, air resistance is ignored.

MPH*1.46 = ft/s
.68*ft/s = MPH

f(x)=ax2+bx+c    Quadratic function.
f'(x)=2ax+b    Derivative of quadratic function is linear. Evaluated at x tells slope m of tangent line at (x,y); this slope is the rate of change of the quadratic function at that point.
y=(2ax1+b)x+(c-ax12)    Equation of tangent line at (x1,y1)


Other realworld parabolas