The Gateway Arch

St. Louis, Missouri

aka The JeffersonNational Expansion Memorial

http://www.nps.gov/jeff/

The Gateway Arch reflects St. Louis’ role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West, to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse.

Thomas Jefferson’s vision of the spread of freedom and democracy from “sea to shining sea reflects St. Louis’ role as The Gateway to the West.

The view from the top of the Gateway Arch:Old Busch Stadium (now replaced).

The view from the top of the Gateway Arch.The Old Courthouse, site of the Dred Scott trial.

The view from the top of the Gateway Arch.

The base of the Arch.

The new Busch Stadium.

The new Busch Stadium.

The new Busch Stadium.

View of the Arch walking to Busch Stadium.

THE GATEWAY ARCH PROBLEM  On a trip to St. Louis you visit the Gateway Arch. Since you have time on your hands, you decide to estimate its height. You measure the distance across the base of the arch to be 162 m. You also measure a height of 4.55 m when you are 1 m away (horizontally) from the bottom of the arch. NOTE: Assume that the arch is a parabola. 

a) Find the equation of the underside of the arch.b) Find the height of the arch.c) An airplane with a wingspan of 40 m tries to fly through the arch at an altitude of 170 m. Can the plane make it? Justify your answer.

 C 1996 REARDON FUN GIFTS, INC.