Height

of a Zero Gravity Parabolic Flight

Math 1010 Intermediate Algebra Group Project

Your Name: Abdelmalik MEZINE
Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to float
weightless in space? One way to try it out is to fly on a
special aircraft that astronauts use to train for their trips to
space. Both NASA and the Russian Space Agency have
been flying these for years. The way this is accomplished
is to fly to a high altitude, drop down to gain speed, and
then start a large parabolic path up in the sky. For a time
ranging from 10 to 20 seconds, along the top part of the
parabolic flight, an environment simulating zero gravity is created within the plane. This effect
can cause some nausea in the participants, giving rise to the name Vomit Comet, the plane
used by NASA for zero-G parabolic training flights. Currently there is a private company that
will sell you a zero-G ride, though it is a bit expensive, around $5000.
This lab will have you take a look at the parabolic path to try to determine the maximum altitude
the plane reaches. First, you will work with data given about the parabola to come up with a
quadratic model for the flight. Then you will work to find the maximum value of the model.
Now for the data:
Height of a Zero-G Flight t Seconds After
Starting a Parabolic Flight Path
Time t in seconds
2
10
20
Height h in feet
30,506
31,250
29,300
To find the quadratic model, you will be plugging the data into the model = at % + bt + c. The
data points given are just like x and y values, where the x value is the time t in seconds and the y
value is the altitude h in feet.Plug these into the model and you will get equations with a, b and c.

Part 1: Write your 3 by 3 system of equations for a, b, and c.

First:
We write x = the time t in seconds
We write y = the altitude h in feet

Secondly:
To try to determine the maximum altitude the plane reaches, we need to find the quadratic model
like

= at % + bt + c.
We know that x = t and y = h
So we can write

= % + +

We have three values of t = x with each altitude h = y so we can have 3 equations with 3
unknowns a, b, c.
So we have a 3 by 3 system of equations









1
400a + 20b + c = 29300




2
100a + 10b + c = 31250




3
4a + 2b + c = 30506

Part 2 : Solve this system. Make sure to show your work.

So we have a 3 by 3 system of equations









1
400a + 20b + c = 29300




2
100a + 10b + c = 31250




3
4a + 2b + c = 30506

(1)

(2)
and
(2)

(3)
give
respectively (4) and (5)





4
300a + 10b = - 1950



5
96a + 8b = 744




By simplifying






4
30a + b = - 195

5



(4) (5)

12a + b = 93



18a = - 288




thus

thus

a = -16

b = 285

c = 30 000

The solution of this system is :

S = ( -16, 285, 30 000)

Part 3 : Using your solutions to the system from part 2 to form your
quadratic model of the data.
So the quadratic model for the flight is :

= 16x % + 285x + 30 000

Part 4 : Find the maximum value of the quadratic function. Make

sure to show your work.
To find the maximum value of the quadratic function, we need to use canonical form.

= 16 % + 285 + 30 000
285
= 16(
) + 30 000
16
%

= 16

285 %
285 %
+ 16
+ 30 000
32
32

= 16

285 %
81225
+ 16
+ 30 000
32
1024

= 16

285 %
81225
+
+ 30 000
32
64

285 %
81225
30 000 64
= 16
+
+
32
64
64
285 %
81225
30 000 64
= 16
+
+
32
64
64
285 % 2 001 225
= 16
+
32
64
So the vertex of this quadratic equation is :
285 2 001 225
,

32
64
In a another form the vertex is 8.9, 31 269
t 8.9 and h 31 269

Part 5: Sketch the parabola. Label the given data plus the maximum
point. A good way to start labeling your axes is to have the lower left
point be (0, 25000)

= 16

285 % 2 001 225

+
32
64

= 16x % + 285x + 30 000

We can used this table to sketch the parabola and the vertex
x = t Time in secondes
y = h Altitude in feet

10

20

30 000

30 506

31 250

29 300

Part 6: Reflective Writing.

Give some other examples of real-life problems that could be solved using this same strategy? Did

this project change the way you think about how math can be applied to the real world? Write
one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why. If this project did not change the way you
think, write how this project gave further evidence to support your existing opinion about
applying math. Be specific.

Example 1:
The number of bacteria in a refrigerated food is given by () =
20t % 20t + 120, for 2 T 14 and where T is the temperature
of the food in Celsius. At what temperature will the number of bacteria
be minimal?
We can used

JK
%L

So we have

%M
NM

=0.5 and you have vertex (0.5,115)

Example 2:
A manufacturer of tennis balls has a daily cost of = 200 10 +
0.01x % , where C is the total cost in dollars and x is the number of tennis

balls produced. What number of tennis balls will produce the

minimum?
We can used
(500,-2300)

JK
%L

So we have

PM
M.M%

= 500 and you have vertex

Example 3:
The value of Jons stock portfolio is given by the function v(t) = 50 +
77t + 3t2 where v is the value of the portfolio in hundreds of dollars and t
is the time in months. How much money did Jon start with? What is
the minimum value of Jons portfolio?
You can notice with the 3 examples that this project changes the way you
think about how math can be applied to the real world because its very
important to know how you need to calculate the maximum and
minimum. For example, I took the semester class aircraft System, I need
to know the Altitude I can fly