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A parabola holds every point equidistant from a fixed point and which other object?
AA fixed line, the directrix
BA second point, the vertex
CA fixed circle, the base
DA fixed line, the axis
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A fixed line, the directrix
1. The fixed point in the definition is the focus.
2. The fixed line it is paired with is the directrix, and the focus never lies on it.
3. Every point of the curve is the same distance from the focus and from the directrix.
4. The axis of symmetry is a different line, one that runs through the focus itself.
_Source: OpenStax College Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 8 "Analytic Geometry", section 8.3 The Parabola_
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