Real-life application of a quadratic function. Help?

Question

, give the equation of the quadratic function, and state what the x and y in the application represent. Choose at least two values of x to input into your function and find the corresponding y for each. State, in words, what each x and y means in terms of your real-life application.

Is there any other examples you can think of besides Ball dropping? or trajectory or determine Max ORD or maximum ?
I need a real life example with the equation and answer.

Answer 1

Yeah, there is alot of ball-dropping going on with parabolas. However, once you get out into other quadratic figures, the applications are formidable.

In chemistry, there are weak acids, which, when dissolved in water, only dissocicate (dissolve into its anion and cation) to a small extent. If C is the concentration of such an acid, and it is found that the concentration of hydrogen ion in solution is H, then H^2/C-H = K, where K is the dissociation constant of the acid. If you know K but not H, the solution is a quadratic equation root, since you have H^2 = CK-HK or H^2+HK+CK=0.

Answer 2

using mph to predict mpg (maybe). or looking at the height/displacement of an object projected upwards at a given time (like throwing a baseball upwards or shooting a cannon upwards/slantedly)

Answer 3

Long read, but should give you some answers.


http://plus.maths.org/issue29/features/quadratic/index-gifd.html

http://plus.maths.org/issue30/features/quadratic/index-gifd.html