A Dish TV satellite dish is the shape of a paraboloid. The dish is 36 inches wide, and 8 inches deep. How many inches should the receiver be located from the vertex for optimal reception? (round to the nearest thousandth)

Answer 1

4 a y = x^2
4 a (8) = (36/2)^2
32 a = 18^2
a = 10.125 in

vertex to focus = a = 10.125 inches