To find the value of p in the equation x² = 12y, we start by relating it to the standard form of a parabola. The general formula for a parabola that opens upwards is given as x² = 4py.
In our case, we have the equation x² = 12y. By comparing this to the standard form, we can see that:
x² = 4py = 12y
This indicates that 4p must equal 12. To find p, we can simply solve for it:
4p = 12
Dividing both sides by 4 gives us:
p = 3
Therefore, the value of p in the equation x² = 12y is 3.