A parabola is a U-shaped curve that can be found in various areas of mathematics and science. It is defined as the set of all points that are equidistant from a fixed point, called the focus, and a fixed line, known as the directrix. Parabolas are commonly seen in the paths of projectiles, such as a thrown ball, and in the design of satellite dishes, which focus signals to a single point. In algebra, parabolas are represented by quadratic equations in the form of y = ax² + bx + c. The value of a determines the direction the parabola opens: if a is positive, it opens upwards, and if negative, it opens downwards. Understanding parabolas is essential for