A parabola is a symmetrical, curved, U-shaped graph. The equation of a parabola graph is y = x² Parabolas exist in everyday situations, such as the path of an object in the air, headlight shapes ...

A teenager from Gippsland in Victoria has written an equation that has been published in a national academic journal — a major achievement for one so young.

In this 3-part activity, students use paper-folding and an interactive computer sketch to develop the equation of a parabola given the focus and directrix.