Because it's not a math program, Microsoft Word cannot produce a graph from data you input, but with its large array of drawing tools, you can draw a parabola once you've calculated its shape.

Learn how to read and plot quadratic graphs with this BBC Bitesize Maths article. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

After testing various lengths and plotting the results on a graph, he found that the data points created a curved shape called a parabola, something he had learned about in algebra.

The quadratic formula learned by generations of math students is difficult to remember, but it can be used to solve quadratic equations where y = 0.