Question

A bridge is built in the shape of a parabolic arch. The bridge arch has a span of 166 feet and a maximum height of 40 feet. Find the height of the arch at 10 feet from its center.

Answer 1

Answer:

38.27775 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

The bridge has been shown in the figure.

Let the highest point of the parabolic bridge (i.e. vertex of the parabola) be at the origin, $O(0,0)$ in the cartesian coordinate system.

As the bridge have the shape of an inverted parabola, so the standard equation, which describes the shape of the bridge is

$x^2=4ay\;\cdots(i)$

where $a$ is an arbitrary constant (distance between focus and vertex of the parabola).

The span of the bridge = 166 feet and

Maximum height of the bridge= 40 feet.

The coordinate where the bridge meets the base is $A(83, -40)$ and $B(-83, -40).$

There is only one constant in the equation of the parabola, so, use either of one point to find the value of $a$.

Putting $A(83,-40)$ in the equation (i) we have

$83^2=4a(-40)$

$\Rightarrow a=-43.05625$

So, on putting the value of $a$ in the equation (i), the equation of bridge is

$x^2=-172.225y$

From the figure, the distance from the center is measured along the x-axis, x coordinate at the distance of 10 feet is, $x=\pm 10$ feet, put this value in equation (i) to get the value of y.

$(\pm10)^2=-172.225y$

$\Rightarrow y=-1.72225$ feet.

The point $P_1(10,-1.72225)$ and $P_2(-10,-1.72225)$ represent the point on the bridge at a distance of 10 feet from its center.

The distance of these points from the x-axis is $d=1.72225$ feet and the distance of the base of the bridge from the x-axis is $h=40$ feet.

Hence, height from the base of the bridge at 10 feet from its center

$= h-d$

$=40-1.72225=38.27775$ feet.