A parabola is a symmetrical, open curve that forms the graph of a quadratic function. Mathematically, it can be defined as the set of all points (x, y) that are equidistant from a fixed point called the focus and a straight line known as the directrix.
The most common form of a parabola can be represented by the quadratic equation: y = ax² + bx + c, where ‘a’, ‘b’, and ‘c’ are constants, and ‘a’ determines the direction and width of the parabola. If ‘a’ is positive, the parabola opens upwards, while if ‘a’ is negative, it opens downwards.
Parabolas have applications across various fields, including physics and engineering, particularly in describing projectile motion and reflective properties of satellite dishes and parabolic microphones.