Parabolas

We had learned in Mathland about the Parabolas, which are in definition, the set of all points (x,y) that are equidistant from a fixed line or directrix and a fixed point that is not on the line called a focus. The two main equations for a parabola are: (x-h)^2=4p(y-k) for vertical parabolas and (y-k)^2=4p(x-h) for horizontal parabolas. The directrix for the vertical one is y=k-p while the one for the horizontal is x=h-p. Mainly, for problems concerning the parabola, you will either find the focus, directrix, or equation for the parabola. To do this, it is easier to first try to draw it out!

Here is a picture of a parabola with a focus and a directrix: