Parabolic shapes in the real world

According to Wikipedia, that great internet source of both information and misinformation, "In nature, approximations of parabolas and paraboloids are found in many diverse situations."

Begin by clicking Post New Thread. Make your example of a parabola in real life (Bouncing ball) the subject of your post and then tell us in your own words about your parabolic find (at least 250 words). Do not just make this up off the top of your head. The St Louis Arch, for example, is NOT a parabola - it is an inverted catenary. Please cite a source confirming that your example is, indeed, parabolic and not some other more exotic curve. Frequently other students become interested in a topic as a result of reading a post. Having a source cited gives them a starting point to do additional research on their own.