We will start using an example from physics involving a freely falling object.A graph of time versus distance will give us a graph that is a parabola. The data table will show that the second set of differences in the distance fallen are equal, not the first set of differences. The graph is a curve not a line. We will generalize the graph using the equation y = 16x^2.This will lead into the quadratic parent function equation y = x^2.