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Math Forum » Discussions » Math Topics » geometry.pre-college.independent

Topic: Hyperbolas in Nature
Replies: 29   Last Post: Mar 24, 2010 6:05 AM

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C. Kenneth Fan

Posts: 12
Registered: 12/6/04
Re: Hyperbolas in nature
Posted: May 10, 1996 6:16 AM
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I think I've got another one:

Hold a large hoola hoop around yourself, look straight forward, and close one of
your eyes. (Don't look down directly at the hoop, just view it vertically
askance.) Then, chances are you'll have a hyperbola across your field of
vision...If you've got just incredibly over-exagerated posture, you might
catch a parabola, or even an ellipse, but for me, I'd end up cheating by
tilting my head down or I'd break my back to see the ellipse this way.

Ken

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