Mathematics

The latus rectum is a chord through the focus perpendicular to the axis of symmetry—it measures how "wide" a parabola opens. For any parabola in standard form, the parameter $4p$ (the coefficient of the linear term) directly tells you the latus rectum length. Extract $p$ from each equation by matching it to $y^2 = 4px$ or $x^2 = 4py$, then compare which parabola spreads wider.

The latus rectum is a chord through the focus perpendicular to the axis of symmetry—it measures how "wide" a parabola opens. For any parabola in standard form, the parameter $4p$ (the coefficient of the linear term) directly tells you the latus rectum length. Extract $p$ from each equation by matching it to $y^2 = 4px$ or $x^2 = 4py$, then compare which parabola spreads wider.