The reflecting dish of a parabolic microphone has a cross-section in the shape of a parabola. The microphone itself is placed on the focus of the parabola. If the parabola is 24 inches wide and 4 inches deep, how far from the vertex should the microphone be placed?

Question

(1 point)

Answer 1

The distance from the vertex to the focus of a parabolic dish is half of the depth of the dish. In this case, the depth of the parabolic dish is 4 inches, so the microphone should be placed 2 inches away from the vertex.