thethinkingatom

A paraboloid is a curved 3 dimensional figure with no center of symmetry but one axis of symmetry. The name paraboloid is derived from the word, parabola which is a symmetrical, U-shaped curve. There are 2 types of paraboloids: an Elliptic paraboloid and a Hyperbolic paraboloid.

Elliptic paraboloid: This type of paraboloid looks like a bowl. The horizontal cross section looks like a circle or an oval and the vertical cross section looks like a parabola. The equation of an Elliptic paraboloid is x²/a² + y²/b² = z. They are commonly used in automobile headlights and satellite dishes.

Hyperbolic paraboloid: This type of paraboloid looks like a saddle. The horizontal cross-sections are hyperbolas (an open, smooth curve consisting of two mirrored, disconnected curved lines), while vertical cross-sections are parabolas. The equation of a Hyperbolic paraboloid is x²/a² – y²/b² = z. Its common usages are architectural roofing and potato chip shapes.

An elliptic paraboloid(left) and a hyperbolic paraboloid(right) next to each other

Code for an elliptic paraboloid

Code for a hyperbolic paraboloid