Bouncing Ball as an Example of a Conic Section Essay

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A conic section is a geometric object, which is formed due to a plane intersecting a cone. One of the conic types obtained after the intersection is a parabola. It is a U-shaped curve with two planes. An important property of a parabola is that its axis divides it into two mirror-symmetrical curves. The resulting parabolic shape is extensively seen in nature and human activities.

An example of a parabola would be a bouncing ball. A ball itself has a sphere form, which allows it to hit the surface and rise back into the air. The resulting motion has a parabolic direction (“Bouncing Ball”). When a ball is thrown into the air, it rises until it reaches a high point. Afterward, the ball falls to the surface, passing exactly the same amount of distance that was necessary for reaching the high point.

The entirety of motion from the moment a ball rises into the air until it falls constitutes a parabola. Unlike a physical object, it is not seen immediately. Whereas in parabolic antennas or microphones, parabolas can be instantly recognized by looking at them, it takes a graphical representation of a ball movement to see the curve. However, in both cases, the same geometric form allows the possibility of their existence.

It should be noted that bouncing a ball does not produce a perfect parabola. When a ball is thrown, not only does it spin, but it also encounters air resistance (“Bouncing Ball”). The resulting interjection of physical forces prevents the motion from being perfectly shaped like a parabola. At the same time, where the ball is to is thrown in a vacuum, where there is no air, the parabola would be precise.

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PhysicsCentral, Web.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Bouncing Ball as an Example of a Conic Section." September 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/bouncing-ball-as-an-example-of-a-conic-section/.

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IvyPanda. "Bouncing Ball as an Example of a Conic Section." September 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/bouncing-ball-as-an-example-of-a-conic-section/.

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