Conic Sections

• Def. An equation of the form

• 𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙𝒚 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎,
• where 𝑨, 𝑩, and 𝑪 are not all zero, is called a general
equation of the second degree in two variables (or a
quadratic equation in two variables).
• Its graph is (generally) a circle, an ellipse, a parabola,
or a hyperbola (conic sections).
• Conic sections (or conics) – graphs obtained as the
intersection of a plane with a right circular cone
• Exceptional cases (degenerate conics): empty graph,
single point, one line, or two lines

•
Conic Sections
 The Parabola
• Def. A parabola is the set of all point 𝑷 in a plane
such that the distance of 𝑷 from a fixed point and a
fixed line are equal.
• fixed point - focus
• fixed line – directrix
• To derive: Equation of a parabola with axis as the
• 𝒙 – axis, vertex at the origin, (𝟎, 𝟎), focus at (𝒂, 𝟎),
𝒂 > 𝟎, and directrix the line 𝒙 = −𝒂
•
• Required equation: 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂𝒙
• latus rectum – chord drawn through the focus
and perpendicular to the axis (length = 𝟒𝒂)
• 𝒂 is the focal distance (distance from the focus to
the vertex
Four Types
 Standard Equations of Parabolas
• I. Equation of a parabola with vertex at the origin and focus
at (𝒂, 𝟎):
• 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂𝒙
• (Opens to the right if 𝒂 > 𝟎, to the left if 𝒂 < 𝟎)
• II. Equation of a parabola with vertex at the origin and focus
at 𝟎, 𝒂 :
• 𝒙𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂𝒚
• (Opens upward if 𝒂 > 𝟎; downward if 𝒂 < 𝟎)
• Ex. Graph the equation: 𝒚𝟐 − 𝟖𝒙 = 𝟎
 Standard Equations of Parabolas
(With vertex at (𝒉, 𝒌))
• I.
• (𝒚 − 𝒌)𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂(𝒙 − 𝒉)
• (Opens to the right if 𝒂 > 𝟎, to the left if 𝒂 < 𝟎)
• II.
• (𝒙 − 𝒉)𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂(𝒚 − 𝒌)
• (Opens upward if 𝒂 > 𝟎; downward if 𝒂 < 𝟎)
 General Equations of Parabolas
• 𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎 (𝑫 ≠ 𝟎)
• (with horizontal axis)
𝟐
• 𝒙 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎 (𝑬 ≠ 𝟎)
• (with vertical axis)
• Ex. Find the vertex, focus, and endpoints of the latus
rectum and sketch the parabola with equation
• 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟒𝒚 + 𝟖 = 𝟎.
 Finding Equations
• Ex. Find the equation of the parabola satisfying the
given conditions.
• 1. With vertex at (𝟑, 𝟐) and focus at (𝟑, 𝟏)
• 2. With horizontal axis, crosses the x-axis at 𝒙 = 𝟐
and the y-axis at 𝒚 = −𝟏 and 𝒚 = 𝟕 (Use the general
equation.)
•
• 3. With horizontal axis, passes through the points
𝟏. 𝟏 , 𝟐, 𝟐 , and (−𝟏, 𝟓)
•
• Practice:
• 1. Find the vertex, focus and ends of the latus
rectum and sketch the graph of the parabola
• 𝟒𝒚𝟐 + 𝟖𝒙 − 𝟏𝟐𝒚 − 𝟕 = 𝟎.
• 2. Find the equation of the parabola with vertical
axis, vertex at (−𝟏, −𝟏), and passing through the
point (𝟐, 𝟐).
•
Ellipse
• Def. An ellipse is the set of all points 𝑷 in a plane
such that the sum of its distances from two fixed
points is constant.
• Fixed points – foci
• Line joining the foci – principal axis

•
Figure 1. An ellipse with horizontal major axis
and center at the origin
To derive: Equation of the ellipse show in Figure 1
An ellipse with vertical major axis and center
at the origin
Constructing an Ellipse
 Thanks to:
• 1. http://hotmath.com/hotmath_help/topics/ellipse.html
• 2.
http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/ellipse.
htm
• 3. http://math.tutorvista.com/geometry/major-axis-of-ellipse.html
 Standard Equations (Ellipse) with center at
(𝒉, 𝒌)
• I. For horizontal major axis:
𝒙−𝒉 𝟐 𝒚−𝒌 𝟐
• + =𝟏
𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐
• II. For vertical major axis:
𝒙−𝒉 𝟐 𝒚−𝒌 𝟐
• + =𝟏
𝒃𝟐 𝒂𝟐
•
 General Equation (Ellipse)
• 𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎,
• in which 𝑨 and 𝑪 are positive and unequal.
• Ex. Sketch the graph of
• 𝟏𝟔𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒚𝟐 − 𝟗𝟔𝒙 − 𝟏𝟖𝒚 + 𝟗 = 𝟎
• Ex. Find the equation of the ellipse satisfying the
given conditions.
• 1. Center at (𝟑, 𝟒), a focus at (𝟔, 𝟒), and a vertex at
• (𝟖, 𝟒)
• 2. Ends of minor axis at (𝟓, −𝟐) and (𝟏, −𝟐) and a
vertex at (𝟑, 𝟑)
•
•
• 3. Foci at (𝟐, 𝟏) and (𝟐, −𝟏𝟎), 𝒂 = 𝟐
• ans. 𝟒𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑𝒚𝟐 − 𝟏𝟔𝒙 + 𝟒 = 𝟎
• Practice: Find the equation of the set of all points
such that the sum of the distances of each point
from (𝟐, 𝟓) and (𝟐, −𝟑) is 14.
The Hyperbola
• Def. A hyperbola is the set of all points in a plane
such that the difference of the distances of each
point from two fixed points is constant.
• fixed points - foci
A Hyperbola
• To derive: Equation of a hyperbola with foci at
𝑭(𝒄, 𝟎) and 𝑭′(−𝒄, 𝟎)
Standard Equations of Hyperbolas with Center
at (𝟎, 𝟎)
• I. With center at the origin and foci at (𝒄, 𝟎) and
(−𝒄, 𝟎) (horizontal transverse axis)
𝒙𝟐 𝒚𝟐
• − =𝟏
𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐
• II. With center at the origin and foci at (𝟎, 𝒄) and
(𝟎, −𝒄) (vertical transverse axis)
𝒚𝟐 𝒙𝟐
• − =𝟏
𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐
• In either case, 𝒄𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 + 𝒃𝟐 .
 Equations of Asymptotes with Center at the
Origin
• I. For horizontal transverse axis
𝒃
• 𝒚= ± 𝒙
𝒂
• II. For vertical transverse axis
𝒂
• 𝒚= ± 𝒙
𝒃
• Why are these lines the asymptotes of the
hyperbola?
A Hyperbola with Vertical Transverse Axis
Standard Equations of Hyperbolas with Center
at (𝒉, 𝒌)
• I. For horizontal transverse axis
(𝒙−𝒉)𝟐 (𝒚−𝒌)𝟐
• − =𝟏
𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐
• II. For vertical transverse axis
(𝒚−𝒌)𝟐 (𝒙−𝒉)𝟐
• − =𝟏
𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐
• General Equation for Hyperbolas
• 𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎
• where 𝑨 and 𝑪 have unlike signs.
• Ex. Graph the equation.
• 𝟏𝟔𝒚𝟐 − 𝟗𝒙𝟐 = 𝟏𝟒𝟒
• Ex. Convert into standard form and give the
coordinates of the center, vertices, foci, and equation
of the asymptotes.
• 𝟐𝟓𝒙𝟐 − 𝟒𝒚𝟐 + 𝟓𝟎𝒙 + 𝟖𝒚 + 𝟏𝟐𝟏 = 𝟎
 𝟐𝒃𝟐
• Each latus rectum is of length .
𝒂
• Ex. Find the equations of the hyperbola satisfying the
given conditions.
• 1. Center at (𝟑, 𝟒), a focus at (𝟖, 𝟒), and a vertex at
(𝟔, 𝟒)
• 2. center at (𝟏, 𝟏), a vertex at (𝟏, 𝟓), conjugate axis 𝟔
• References:
• 1. Ellis R. and Gulick, D., Calculus with Analytic Geometry, 6th edition,
• Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1986.
• 2. Fuller, G. and Tarwater, D., Analytic Geometry, 7th edition,
• Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1992.
• 3. Leithold, L., The Calculus with Analytic Geometry, 6th edition,
• Harper and Row Publishers, N.Y., 1990.
• 4. Salas, S., Hille, E., and Etgen, G., Calculus – One and Several Variables, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
• 2007.