Hi, in my Grade 11 Functions math class we have been assigned the task of finding jobs and careers related to quadratics, I have done many searches but have been unsuccessful, then I saw your website and e-mailed. I also have to use an example of a math problem that the job uses, then solve it, this will all compile on bristol board for a presentation. I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me some links and references of sources that refer to this subject.
Thank you
Usman
Hi Usman,
Quadratics arise in solving many problems that come up in people's work and in activities that are not work related. I will give you two places where we have used quadratics to answer questions that we have been asked on the Quandaries and Queries section of Math Central. One that just came from someone's curiosity. The question was "Why are satellite dishes parabolic?" If you look at the cross-section of a satellite dish it is parabolic, and a parabola is the shape of the graph of a quadratic function. The answer explains why this shape is important and that the manufacturers of satellite dishes are working with quadratics.
The second question came from someone who was constructing an elliptical shaped table. He wanted the table to have drop down leaves that satisfied a specific requirement, and he needed to find the width of the leaf. Penny's solution to this problem required the solution of a quadratic equation.
Harley