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Functions and Relations

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The year is 2030 and the U.S. is sending its first manned mission to Mars. As the rocket ascends over the Earth's surface it travels in an orbit that is parabolic in shape, then releases a space ca...

The year is 2030 and the U.S. is sending its first manned mission to Mars. As the rocket ascends over the Earth's surface it travels in an orbit that is parabolic in shape, then releases a space capsule that follows a circular orbit to dock at the space station. The interplanetary voyage is used in this program to investigate quadratic relations-circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. The video also looks at the eccentricities of conic sections, and explains why an elliptical rather than a direct path is the best way for the rocket to travel.

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