Applications of Conic Sections
Suspension Bridge
Path or projectile motion (tossing a ball, for example)
Orbits of the Planets
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Lenses
Intraocular implants
Satellite dishes
Whispering galleries (The Rotunda of the Texas State Capitol Building and
Statuary Hall in the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC)
Lithotripsy - an application of ellipses
A lithotripter is a devise that uses shockwaves to painlessly shatter kidney stones
and gall stones. The location of the stone is fixed as one of the focal points of an
ellipse. The stone is zapped with shockwaves which cause the stone to shatter. The
tiny fragments can pass through and out the body without need for surgery.
OK. Back to math.