Mathematics
Mathematics
Problem
For the parabola , a point has ordinate . a. (i) Find the abscissas of . b. (ii) Hence find the distance between the two possible positions of .Intuitive explanation
The key here is using the parabola's equation to find where a point with a known -coordinate actually sits. Since lies on and you know its ordinate (the -value) is , you can substitute directly into the equation to solve for the -coordinate. This gives you the complete location of point , which is usually the first step toward finding distances, tangent lines, or other geometric properties.
Intuitive explanation
The key here is using the parabola's equation to find where a point with a known -coordinate actually sits. Since lies on and you know its ordinate (the -value) is , you can substitute directly into the equation to solve for the -coordinate. This gives you the complete location of point , which is usually the first step toward finding distances, tangent lines, or other geometric properties.