Conic Sections - The Parabola
On an (x, y) graph a parabola can have this shape:
If a plane intersects the cone when it is slanted the same as the side of the cone, (formally, when it is parallel to the slant height), the conic section is a parabola. This is shown below:
Here is a VRML animation that shows several possibilities for forming a parabola by intersecting a cone and a plane. (For help with VRML go here.)
(If you view the full screen version, use your browser's 'Back' button to return to this page.)