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Math help please - parabola
I'm trying to build a circular parabolic dish solar concentrator. So
far I've designed a simple hub to which I'll attach radial ribs. These ribs will support reflective "petals" and an outer support ring. I know that the general formula for a parabola is: (x - h) ^ 2 = 4 * a * (y - k), where (h,k) are the coordinates of the vertex and a is the distance from the vertex to the focus and the distance from the vertex to the directrix (and one-fourth the length of the latus rectum). What I need is an algebraic expression representing the distance along the parabola from the vertex to any point (x,y) on the parabola so I can lay out the shape of a petal for cutting from flat stock. -- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html |
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