ges. The third and final law, added ten years later, said that the time period for one revolution squared, was proportional to the measure of half the distance across the ellipse at its maximum cubed. In other words, the time it took to complete a revolution was based upon the size of the elliptical orbit. (West, 116) There are a few examples of which conic sections have been used in architecture such as ceilings. Examples of this are in the dome-shaped elliptical ceilings of the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, and at the Whispering Gallery in Washington, D. C. The interesting part of these structures is that when a sound wave is created near one of the focal points, the decibel level is exactly the same at the other focal point, which was quite some distance away. This was due to the ray-like wave hitting the focal point at an angle, which was projected in the other direction at the exact same angle, and while doing so, keeping the sound waves concentrated. The second conic section that has applications to common things around us is the parabola. Some examples of its usage are in suspension bridge cables, and in the arches of common walkways and/or bridges. The reason for it being used is that the weight is best distributed evenly when a parabola curved cable or archway is used, and therefore it will hold the strongest. The more common recognitions of the parabola in everyday events would be in the kicking or throwing of a ball, the path of water coming out of an ordinary garden hose when pointed upward, and the pathway of a bullet from a fired gun, although not as easily visible. One more way a parabola is used is in headlights. The mirror reflection of the light and being reflected multiple times causes a quite strong beam of light to be developed and creates a better viewing sight. The same concept goes into the creation of telescopes and its reflection of an image that is quite some distance away. Finally,...
