SHS

Pre -Calculus
Quarter 1 : Week 2 - Module 3
Pre-Calculus
Grade 11 Quarter 1: Week 2-Module 3
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Gerardo L. Hoggang

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team
Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

ATTY. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, Ph.D, CID Chief
Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of LRMS
Erlinda M. Dela Peña, Ed.D, EPS in Charge of Mathematics
Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II
 Pre-Calculus
Quarter 1: Week 2-Module 3
 TARGET

This module is intended for Senior High School learners in Pre-Calculus.

This will guide you learners to gain a deeper comprehension about the parabola
which was introduced to you in the earlier module on Conic Sections. This
guide will let you explore the properties of the parabola and how they are used
in real life. This module will guide you to manipulate and transform the
equation of a parabola to its standard form, the form from which the properties
can be readily identified. You just need to read thru the discussions carefully
and pay attention to the steps or procedures and follow them without miss.
This module discusses the definition of the Parabola and its applications.
The standard form of the parabola and the different orientations are presented
in detail for the learner to easily grasp and follow. Sufficient examples and
many illustrations are incorporated to ensure learner comprehension. As
senior high students taking up Pre-calculus, you have the necessary knowledge
and skills to finish this module successfully on your own. A summative
examination is also provided to gauge effectiveness of the module as a material
for independent learning.
Pre-requisite Subject: Advanced Algebra of Grade 10.
Skills:
1. solving equations
2. completing the square
3. Factoring polynomials
4. graphing equations manual/software Time Allotment

1 week
This module targets that you are to gain the following most essential
learning competencies. After finishing this module, you should be able to;
1. define a parabola (STEM_PC11AG- 1a-5)
2. determine the standard form of a parabola (STEM_PC11AG-lb-1 )

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 DISCOVER

What is a parabola? Do you have an idea of what a parabola is?

Let us start by looking at ball games senior high students play. When a ball
is thrown up, it follows a parabolic path. The arc that represents the trajectory
of any free falling object like the ball, shuttle cock or an arrow in archery
represents a parabola.

Figure 1: Path of a ball

Other objects that apply the properties and principles of a parabola are the
reflectors of flashlights, car headlights and spotlights. These reflectors follow the
parabolic curves that focus light rays to an intense beam of light.

Figure 2: Car head light

Another object that applies the principles of the parabola is the parabolic mirror.
It is made to reflect sunlight into a focal point and create heat for cooking.

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 Figure 3: Parabolic Mirror

Another is the parabolic dish that transmit signals to your cell phones. Signals are
received and transmitted by the parabolic dish using the properties of a parabola.

Figure 4: Parabolic Dish

These are some of the many ways that the parabola and its properties are used.
You can browse on the internet for more applications especially in architectural
design. With this as motivation you can explore into the properties and characteristics
of the parabola. It is hoped that with the use of this module, you will develop positive
attitudes on this subject as the lessons are made so easy to understand and the
problems model the real world.
The parabola is like the trajectory of a ball thrown up. The path of the ball as it
rises and falls is a parabola.
You have learned from Conic Section that the parabola is a curve which is cut by
a plane, parallel to the side and passed through a cone.

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Figure 1 A plane parallel to the side and passed through the cone cuts a parabola.

In your Junior high school mathematics the parabola was introduce to you in
Quadratic Functions. On a coordinate system, the parabola is a set of points
equidistant from a fixed point called the focus and a fixed line called the directrix.

A parabola is a curve
where any point is at an
equal distance from:

 a fixed point
(the focus ), and
 a fixed straight
line (the directrix ).

Figure 2: Parabola
In figure 2: parabola from www.mathopenref.com, the distance (d) of P(x,y) from
the focus is equal to its distance (d) from the directrix. This is true for all the points
on the parabola. The parabola extends without end. The vertex of the parabola is the
midpoint between the focus and the directrix and the axis of symmetry is the line
passing through the vertex and the focus. The distance of the focus and the vertex is
the focal length. ( Lippman and Rasmussen, 2018)

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 A more detailed illustration of the parabola from Softschools.com presents the
vertex and the focus and the distances of a point on the parabola from the focus and
the directrix. From the illustration distance from a point to the focus is equal to its
distance from the directrix.

According to Softschools.com/math/precalculus, the standard equation of a

parabola considers two positions of the axis of symmetry that contains the focus and
the vertex of the parabola which are the vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

STANDARD EQUATION OF A PARABOLA:

Let the vertex be (h, k) and p be the distance between the vertex and the
focus and p ≠ 0.
(x−h )2 =4p( y−k ) vertical axis; directrix is y = k – p
(y−k )2 =4p( x−h ) horizontal axis; directrix is x = h – p
The same form of the standard equation of a parabola, axis of symmetry,
directrix, focus and graph is provided by Lippman and Rasmussen.

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 Equation of a Parabola with Vertex at (h, k) in Standard Conic Form
The standard conic form of an equation of a parabola with vertex at the point (h, k)
depends on whether the axis of symmetry is horizontal or vertical. The table below
gives the standard equation, vertex, axis of symmetry, directrix, focus, and graph for
each.

Note: When p<0, the orientation or opening of the parabola is the opposite
direction when p>0.

Standard form of the Parabola with Vertex at the Origin

Now you are ready to learn more about the properties of the parabola. Here
you will be guided to determine the vertex, focus, directrix and axis of symmetry and
orientation of the parabola and the standard form. Here you are presented varied
situations that require different solutions or approaches but will apply the properties
of the parabola.
From the two standard forms ( x−h )2 =4p( y−k ) and ( y−k )2 =4p( x−h ) , let the
vertex be the origin. The values of h and k are both 0, therefore V(0,0). Replace h and

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k with 0 in the equations. ( x−0 )2 =4p( y−0 ) and ( y−0 )2 =4p( x−0 ) . This results x 2

= 4p y and y 2 =4p x.

Softschool.com shows the four orientation of the parabola and the corresponding form.

Y Y
X
Y
F=(p,0)
X F=(p,0)
X F=(-p,0)

X Y

Y2 = 4px Y2 = - 4p x x2 = 4p y x 2
= - 4p y

Transforming Equations to Vertex Form

Example 1

Consider the equation We can easily transform this to Follow

the chart below.
This conforms to Y2 = 4p x which opens to the right. Y2 = 4p x
To solve for the value of p, equate 12x and 4px since y2 = 12x
both are equal to y .
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4px = 12x

To get the focal distance, solve for p 4px = 12x

Since p = 3, the focus has coordinates (3,0) P=3
Convert to standard form of the parabola y = 4(3)x
2

The directrix is opposite the focus p units from the Y = -3

vertex.

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Graph of y 2 = 12 x

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Step 2 Sketch the parabola

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Example 3

A solar cooker is a parabolic dish that reflects the sun’s rays to a central point
allowing you to cook food. If a solar cooker has a parabolic dish 16 inches in
diameter and 4inches tall, where should the food be placed?

To solve this problem, you need to determine the location of the focus, since that’s
where the food should be placed. Positioning the base of the dish at the origin, the
shape from the side looks like:
The standard conic form of an equation for the parabola would be h ‫݌‬s .
The parabola passes through (8,4), so
substituting that into the equation,
we can solve for p:

82 = 4p(4)

64 = 16p y

P=4 4

8 8 x

The focus is 4 inches above the vertex.

This makes for a very convenient design, since then a grate could be placed on top of
the dish to hold the food.

Writing standard form of the parabola with Vertex (h,k)

A parabola with vertex (0,0) or origin may be shifted vertically or horizontally.
Solving these equations provides you deeper comprehension about the parabola.
Thus, the module provides you with step by step solution. The left column tells you
what to find while the right column shows how it is done.

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Example 4:

Find the standard equation of the parabola with vertex at (4, 2) and focus at (4, -3).

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 EXPLORE

Activity 1
Properties of a Parabola with Vertex at the Origin
Problem 1.

Determine the vertex, focus, directrix, axis of symmetry and orientation of

the parabola whose equation is x2 = -10y .
What form does the equation fit?
What is the value of p?
What is the standard form of the parabola?

Problem 2.

Write the standard conic equation for a parabola with vertex at the origin
and focus at (0, -2).

What is axis of symmetry if the vertex is V(0,0) and the focus is F(0,- 2)?
What is the distance of the vertex and the focus? What
is the orientation of the parabola?

Activity 2
Properties of a Parabola with Vertex Other than the Origin

Problem 1

Find the standard equation of the parabola with vertex at (4, 1) and
directrix of x = -3.

What is the axis of symmetry given the vertex and directrix?

What is the distance of the focus and the vertex? What
is the standard equation of the parabola?

Problem 2

Change the equation 5x2 + 30x + 24y = 51 to the standard conic form of a
parabola. Determine the properties of the parabola.

What is the orientation of the parabola?

What is the focal distance of the parabola? What
are the properties of the parabola?

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 DEEPENING

Enrichment Activity

Solve the following problems.

1. Find the standard equation of the parabola which satisfies the given conditions.
(a) vertex (1,−9), focus (−3,−9)

(b) focus (7, 11), directrix x = 1

2. A flashlight is shaped like a paraboloid, so that if its light bulb is placed at

the focus, the light rays from the bulb will then bounce of the surface in a
focused direction that is parallel to the axis. If the paraboloid has a depth of 1.8
in and the diameter on its surface is 6 in, how far should the light source be
placed from the vertex?

3. A satellite dish shaped like a paraboloid, has diameter 2.4 ft and depth
0.9 ft. If the receiver is placed at the focus, how far should the receiver be from
the vertex?

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References
Printed Materials

Lippman, D., & Rasmussen, M. (2018). Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions.

Retrieved from: http://www.opentextbookstore.com/precalc/

Licuanan, P. B., et al. (2016). Teaching guide for senior high school: Precalculus.
Quezon City: Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved from:
https://francisjosephcampena.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/8/6/17869691/ch
ed_precalculus-part1.pdf

Website

Stapel, E. (n.d.). Graphing Quadratic Functions: The Leading Coefficient /

The Vertex. Retrieved August 09, 2020, from
https://www.purplemath.com/modules/grphquad2.htm

Equation of a parabola - derivation. (n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from

https://www.mathopenref.com/parabolafdderive.html

(n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from

https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/parabola.html

Parabola: Standard Equation. (n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from

https://www.softschools.com/math/pre_calculus/parabola_standard_e
quation/

File:Conic sections with plane.svg. (n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conic_sections_with_plane.s
vg

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