parabola from curve stitching pattern
A quadratic graph (or parabola) is generated from a curve stitching pattern.
Drag A to change the frame for this stitching pattern.
Check the parabola that matches this pattern. Note the equation of that parabola, which is also a means to generate the parabolic curve as a quadratic graph.
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When introducing the shape of a quadratic graph (which is a parabola), we can often use examples of projectiles in real life. But what else will we talk about projectiles after describing the shape?
In general, when we talk about graphs, we should treat it as a representation of relation between meaningful variables, or simply as a geometric shape (curve) to be studied analytically.
In this example, I explore the use of curve stitching as an alternative way to introduce the parabolic shape. Students may have experience of making this kind of pattern physically or graphically in early maths or STEAM activities. A set of lines here suggests a curve (which is not a circle) and could not be described in a simple way. Instead, a simple quadratic function () can allow us to generate points on the curve in a computationally friendly manner.