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ratics
Using basic properties of a parabola, students collect and analyze temperature data and construct a three-dimensional model from a quadratic equationto cook marshmallows!
Luajean N. Bryan

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ave you ever used a quadratic equation to cook a marshmallow? A project that mixes algebra with data collection, uses technology, extends into data analysis, and cooks marshmallows can excite both teachers and students. Working in teams, students used simple quadratic equations to design and build giant parabolic dishes. They determined the focus of each dish and positioned a marshmallow at that point. Solar heat cooked the marshmallows, with some temperatures reaching higher than 79 C (174 F) (see fig. 1). The project began with a simple idea, yet build-

ing a three-dimensional parabolic dish (more correctly called a paraboloid) from a plane quadratic equation required creative problem solving. (The project idea originated from a brief lab activity in A Watched Cup Never Cools [Kamischke 1999].) An exciting and memorable endeavor, the project has become a student favorite. This project intends to pique students interest in higher mathematics, incorporate their knowledge of parabolas, and offer a meaningful mathematics experience. Challenges abound in constructing such a parabolic dish. A student instruction sheet and project guidelines are included in the appendix.

Vol. 104, No. 4 November 2010 | MatheMatics teacher 309

SELECTION OF A QUADRATIC EQUATION

This project is best suited to teams of three to five students. This number allows for more input during construction and gives ample opportunity for each member of the team to contribute. After coming to an understanding of how changing the values of a, h, and k affect the graph of y = a(x h)2 + k, teams selected their own quadratic equation. Realizing that a parabola that opens wide enough to direct sufficient sunlight to the focus inside the constructed dish was important. For convenience, students placed the vertex at (0, 0) so that their equations took the form y = a(x 0)2 + 0, or y = ax2. Another prerequisite for this project is an understanding that the parabola is the locus of points equidistant from a point called the focus and a line called the directrix. The equation of a parabola that opens upward, has its vertex at the origin, and whose directrix has the equation y = p is given by
y= 1 2 x . 4p

attractions in calculus because solids of revolution are not yet part of students mathematical tool kit.

PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION

The teacher should provide minimal details about how to build the dish from the parabola. This open-ended approach allows mathematically promising students to investigate, experiment, and problem solve with their peers, as Sheffield (1999) encourages. The teacher may suggest some possible materials to usesuch as aluminum foil, papier-mch, wire, poster board, graph paper, wood, and flexible materialsbut should encourage creativity. Masons report describes his teams choice of quadratic equation and building plan:
We chose to model our marshmallow parabola cooker after the equation y = x2/48. We chose this equation because we had decided to use aluminum siding for inside the cooker, and this equation, being approximately 52 cm tall at 1 m wide, would require less aluminum siding than a parabola that is 1 m tall when its 1 m wide. We had no trouble graphing our parabola, or determining the focus or vertex algebraically. We did have several construction problems though: how would we get straight, flat pieces of aluminum to fit the parabola, and how should we get the graph onto wood to cut out a frame? To transfer the graph onto the wood, we graphed all of the even integral values of the equation from 0 to 50. Then we cut out that half of the graph and used it as a stencil to mark where to cut, we only had to cut out half of the graph because the graph is symmetric about the y-axis. To solve the other problem, Tyler and I came up with the idea to cut the aluminum into identical squares and place them around the parabola so they would curve and overlap and provide the right shape. We restricted our domain to values of x from 50 to 50.

Students must then visualize how a paraboloid is the surface of revolution of a parabola. Light or sound entering the paraboloid is reflected to the focus. This discussion offers a preview of coming

Masons description indicates teamwork in the problem solving and a clear understanding of the properties of parabolas. Different teams used a variety of construction techniques. Matt explains his teams plan:
It was important to find the focus of the parabola because the marshmallow was placed at that point. When sunlight shines into the parabola, the light strikes the sides of the parabola and reflects to the focus. Since the focus receives the most sunlight, placing a marshmallow there would make the marshmallow heat up very quickly. We used the graph of the equation as a template to build our parabola around. The main problems we encountered came during construction. We had trouble

Fig. 1 Brooke and sara collect temperature data.

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ASSESSMENT: DOES THE DISH MATCH THE QUADRATIC EQUATION?

Although the team builds its parabolic dish from the quadratic it selects, the finished product may not accurately match the graph of the parabola selected. To check for accuracy, the teacher projected a digital photograph of a side view of the dish onto the large screen in the classroom. Each team created a graph of the parabola used on a graphing calculator, choosing the x- and y-scale to fit the measurements used to construct the dish. For accurate comparison, students must zoom to a square window before projecting the graph onto the photograph of the dish. Excitement heightened when the proposed quadratic was superimposed onto the photograph of each project. Students breathed great sighs of relief or disappointment when a perfect or a not-so-perfect fit was revealed (see fig. 2).

(a)

DATA COLLECTION
Students collected temperature data and used temperature probes to store the data in their calculators automatically. Students programmed their calculators, attached the marshmallow at the focus of the paraboloid, inserted the temperature probe, and watched the graph progress. They had to hold the temperature probe because as the marshmallow began to heat up, the probe required support. With some calculators, we used Easy Temp thermometers with the Easy Data program; with other calculators we used thermometers connected to CBLs or LabPros with the DataMate program on TI graphing calculators. The latter option allows for temperature readings over a longer time period.

(b)
Fig. 2 Jeremi, rossman, Kent, and alex selected the quadratic y = x2/32 (a). a side view of their dish (b) shows a close match with their equation. the focus should be 8 cm from the vertex. their marshmallow reached 72.12o c (161.8o F), with the temperature increasing at an average rate of 8.62 F/min.

figuring out how to shape the poultry netting into a parabola. We had to connect the poultry netting together first. This created the basic shape. Then we went back and did paper mache on the inside of the poultry netting. The paper mache helped to keep the parabolas shape. After we did this, we wrapped it with two layers of aluminum foil, with insulation in between. It was difficult to flatten the outside of the parabola because of the insulation and aluminum foil. We had to press it together over and over again. We used a cardboard box as a base. Our parabola fit on top of it nicely, and we could adjust the angle of the parabola to direct its focus toward the sun.

Students experienced how placement of the marshmallow at the precise focus of the parabolic dish was vitally important; thus, the focus of a parabola became more than an ordered pair or an answer to a textbook exercise. All construction was completed outside class. One class period was sufficient to cook the marshmallows, exchange data by linking team calculators, assess the accuracy of students designs, and respond to questions about expectations of the data analysis report due the following day.

Students programmed their calculators to read temperatures every 15 seconds over a 50-minute time span, so the graph consisted of 200 data points. An abbreviated sample of one teams data is shown in table 1, and figure 3 shows the Logger Pro graph of another teams data. In a little more than six minutes the marshmallow was heated to more than 150oF . Marshmallows will cook in a much shorter time on a sunny day. Table 1 Abbreviated Data Table from Masons Team Time (sec.) 0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 Temp. (o F) 85.005 87.919 89.936 92.178 94.029 95.988 99.686 103.272 106.858 110.22 113.134 116.048 117.953 120.755 123.668 128.263 132.522 Time (sec.) 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 360 375 390 405 420 435 450 465 480 Temp. (o F) 136.444 138.573 140.142 142.832 145.745 146.754 148.211 149.444 151.461 152.021 150.900 152.806 151.797 153.702 155.607 157.176

During the cooking, students often became competitive, calling out their teams most recent high temperature. This enthusiasm carried over into the classroom as students analyzed the time-temperature graphs. Deciding which team reached the highest temperature was easy. Determining which team had the greatest average rate of change in temperature (from their lowest to highest recorded temperatures) stimulated some follow-up analysis.

DATA ANALYSIS AND CURVE FITTING

This project does not conclude with the marshmallow cooking. After collecting the data, students began the graphical analysis. Students explained which variables were dependent and which were independent. They also defined the domain and range of the temperature over the time interval of data collection and identified the maximum and minimum values. This process provided an opportunity to introduce or review other terms as well: increasing and decreasing functions, monotonic functions, slope, and average rates of change. Students used their knowledge of functions to analyze the time-temperature graphs. As the marshmallow temperature rose, the graph generally increased. However, there were dips in temperature, as when a cloud passed in front of the sun, a student blocked the light, or a cool breeze interfered. Students used graphing calculators or Logger Pro computer software to find a satisfactory curve of best fit, experimenting with various functions to fit their data. Laws of science entered into the discussion as students attempted to find a curve to model their data. Lauren explained how her team discarded both the linear and the exponential functions; these increased monotonically, while the data did not. For convenience, her team chose the cubic equation
T(t ) = 0.0000001t 3 0.0003t 2 + 0.259t + 84.9, 0000001t

Fig. 3 One group obtained this graph of data, similar to that in table 1.

although the model did not satisfy the maximum point and implied an inappropriate end behavior. Still, the cubic did model the data well on the closed-time interval. A logistic curve fit might have been a better option (the TI calculator provides this option, although Logger Pro does not). As students experimented with curve fitting, they began to use the language of functions, discussing upper and lower limits of a function and incorporating real-world factors. They explained how the ambient temperature determined the minimum temperature, and they projected a maximum temperature that the marshmallow would not exceed. Speculation about variables such as the outside temperature, the amount of heat before sugar breaks down, and the suns angle of elevation

312 MatheMatics teacher | Vol. 104, No. 4 November 2010

entered into their discussion as well. Students discovered that the familiar slope calculation applied in this real-world situation. In his report, Mason explained his calculation of the average rate of change:
Our average rate of change of temperature was calculated using the highest and lowest points on our graph and the slope formula. The maximum and minimum points were: 157.2 F at 480 seconds and 85.01 F at 0 seconds. The calculation for average rate of change of temperature was as follows:
157.2 85.01 85 0 = 0.1504 o F/sec. or 9.02o F/min. F/sec. F/ 480 0

curve fitting of the data. Cooking with quadratics made mathematics meaningful to my students.

REFERENCES
Kamischke, Ellen. A Watched Cup Never Cools: Lab Activities for Calculus and Precalculus. Emeryville, CA: Key Curriculum Press, 1999 Sheffield, Linda Jensen, ed. Developing Mathematically Promising Students. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1999.

CONCLUSION
The parabola project engages students and is appropriate for a wide range of learners. It addresses concepts central to the high school mathematics curriculum, including average rates of change, properties of parabolas, and curve-fitting techniques. The activity requires students to analyze nonroutine situations using algebra, analytical thinking, technology, and teamwork. The use of graphing software and digital photography enhances the mathematics, enabling accurate data collection and appropriate
LUAJEAN N. BRYAN, lbryan@ bradleyschools.org, teaches secondyear algebra, precalculus, calculus, and statistics at Walker Valley High School in Cleveland, Tennessee. She is interested in project-based learning and cross-curriculum studies and in using technology in both instruction and authentic assessments.

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APPENDIX: Student Instructions and Scoring Rubric Project: Cooking with Quadratics Prerequisite Knowledge
Equation and properties of a parabola 2. State the projects intent. Clearly state the definition of parabola, focus, directrix, vertex, and standard equation of parabola. Explain how each applies to your dish. 3. Call P(x) the equation of the parabola you used. Discuss how the equation was selected. Clearly show how you determined the location of the focus of P(x). Describe any algebraic, graphic, or construction problems you encountered and explain how you solved them. Include a photograph of the completed dish. 4. List all materials used, including their cost. 5. Show graphs of P(x) and T(t) (a graph of temperature, T, over time, t) showing the curve of best fit. 6. Provide all your data. Explain your choice for the model T(t). Find the average rate of change of temperature in degrees/sec. and in degrees/min. Describe the function T(t), using these terms in your analysis: increasing, decreasing, monotonic, maximum, minimum, slope, continuous, domain, range, lower and upper limit, and average rate of change. 7. Acknowledge each team members specific contributions, work completed, ideas used, materials, and total time spent. (Use list format.)

Project Instructions
Choose an equation of a parabola that your group will use to design your parabolic dish. Your equation must be submitted today in class. If your team decides to change the equation, one change will be permitted within the next three days. Building the dish will be a team effort; this is an exercise in working together and listening to one another. Your team must decide on a plan, and your constructed model should have some way of positioning a marshmallow at the focus of the parabola. Your cooker will be tested outside. As the marshmallow cooks, its temperature will be recorded directly into your calculator by use of a temperature probe inserted into the marshmallow and then connected either directly to your graphing calculator or to a LabPro and graphing calculator. Two members of your team will receive technical instruction on how to collect the temperature data using your teams assigned equipment. The completed dish cannot exceed 1 m in any direction. Bonus points go to the team whose marshmallow temperature increases at the fastest rate and whose marshmallow reaches the highest temperature.

Materials and Equipment Needed

Be creative. The team has many choices, but your total cost, C, must be minimal: C < $12.00. Use recycled materials to avoid exceeding the cost limit. (Suggestions: chicken wire, papiermch, poster board, graph paper, wood, and aluminum foil)

Evaluation
See table 1.

Written Report
1. Provide title page (project, team members, course, teacher, date). Table 1 Assessment Rubric Category Model meets design equation selected Ability to retain shape and ease of orientation Appearance of parabolic device Achieves cooking temperature ( 110F) Team cooperation Efficient use of time and materials Problem-solving strategies Written report Total score Teacher Comments Points Possible 12 5 5 10 10 8 10 40 100 Points Earned

314 MatheMatics teacher | Vol. 104, No. 4 November 2010