vertical strut extending from the lower arch to the roadway (as shown in the image). Here the lower arch is 80m above sea level and the upper arch is 49m above the roadway. At the vertices, the lower arch is 118m above sea level and the upper arch is 73m above the roadway.
Find the quadratic equations which describe the parabolas of the lower arch in:
vertex form, y=a(x-h)^2+k;
intercept form, y=a(x-α)(x-β)
general form, y=ax^2+bx+c
The lower arch intersects the roadway 181.5m from the vertex. Calculate how much higher is the upper arch than the lower at the middle of the bridge?
Using technology, determine the total length of all 19 pairs of equally-spaced, vertical struts between the lower arch and the roadway.