Unit II

CONICS

References:
Chapter3&4: Analytic Geometry by G. Fuller
Chapter11: Analytic Geometry in Calculus by J. Wiley
Chapter7: College Algebra by R. D. Gustafson

Conics
Conic

Sections

each one is the intersection of a plane and a right-circular

cone
equations fall into one of several categories: a point, a pair
of lines, a circle, a parabola, an ellipse, an hyperbola, or no
graph at all
Ren Descartes (15961650) and Blaise Pascal (16231662)
developed the mathematics needed to study them in detail

Unit II : Conics

CIRCLES

Circles
Definition:
A circle is the set of all points on a

plane that are equidistant from a fixedpoint on the plane. The fixed point is
called the center. And the distance from
the center to any point of the circle is
called radius.

Circles
The

Standard
Equation of a Circle
2
2
2 :
with
Center
at
(h,
k)
x h y k r

The

Standard
Equation
of
2
2 a Circle
2
x

r
with Center at (0, 0):

Circles
Derive

the general form of the equation of a circle in second

degree in x and y :
Standard equation of a circle with center (h,k)

x h 2 y k 2 Square
r2
the binomials and simplify

Equation can be written as

B=0, A=C and

Ax 2 Bxy Cy 2 Dx Ey F where
0
D, E and F are constants

General

and y

form of the equation of a circle in second degree in x

x y Dx Ey F 0
2

Circles (Examples)
1. Find the general equation of the circle with center at
(-3, 4) and radius =6 units.
2. Find the center and radius and sketch the circle.

x 2 y 2 6 x 4 y 15 0

3. Find the equation

of the circle which is concentric
2
2
x y 8 x 10 y 5 0
with the circle
and that goes
through the point (-1,3).
Find

the equation of the circle determined by the

given conditions; draw the figure.
Tangent to the line

4 x 3 y 10 0

, Center at (5,5)

Circles (Assignment) Explain each

Line of your solution : use 1
whole yellow paper
Find

the equation of the circle with center at (-5,6)

and radius = 4.

Find

the equation of the circle with diameter from

(4,2) to (8,6).

Find
a)
b)

the
center, the radius and sketch the ff. circles:
2
2

x y 6x 8 y 0

2 x 2 2 y 2 3x 5 y 2 0

Find the equation of the circle whose center is at

(3,4) and which is tangent to the y-axis.

Unit II: Conics

PARABOLA

Parabola

Definition:
A parabola is the set of all points

in a plane equidistant from a line l

(called the directrix) and a fixed
point F (called focus) that is not
on line l.
The point on the parabola that is

closest to the directrix is called the

vertex, and the line passing
through the vertex and the focus is
called the axis of the parabola.

Parabola
A

parabola with the following

characteristics:
Vertex: V(0,0)
Focus: F(0,p)
Directrix: y= -p
Point on the parabola: P(x,y)

Using the distance formula, find the distance

2
2
from P(x,y)
to
F(0,p).
d ( PF ) x y p

From the figure, we see that the distance from

P() to the directrix
y y=-p
p is:
y p

Parabola
We

can equate these distances and simplify :

(1)
Equation

(1), one of the standard equations of a parabola

with vertex at the origin.
If p>0 in equation(1), the graph of the equation will be a
parabola that opens upward. If p<0 , the graph of the equation
will be a parabola that opens downward.

Parabola

Parabola
x2

= 4py
opens up

Parabola
x2

= 4py
opens
down

Parabola
y2

= 4px
opens right

Parabola
y2

= 4px
opens left

Parabola

Parabola
(x-h)2

= 4p(y-

k)
opens up

Parabola
(x-h)2

=
4p(y-k)
opens down

Parabola
(y-k)2

= 4p(x-

h)
opens right

Parabola
(y-k)2

= 4p(x-

h)
opens left

Parabola
General

form of the equation of a

parabola:

x Dx Ey F 0

Provided E0

y Dx Ey F 0

Provided D0

Parabola (Examples)
Write

the equation of the parabola

with vertex at origin and focus at
(0,4).
A parabola has its vertex at the
origin, its along the x-axis, and
passes through the point (-3,6). Find
the equation.
y 2 8 x 6 y 25 0
Draw the graph of the equation

Parabola (Examples)
Find

the equation of the parabola

that opens up, has vertex at the
point (4,5), and passes through the
point (0,7).
Find the equations of two parabolas
with a vertex (2,4) at that pass
through (0,0).
2
Find theyvertex
8 x 4 and
y 28y-intercepts of
the parabola with the following
equation and graph it:

Parabola (Practice
Problems)
Find and graph the vertex, focus, and
directrix of each parabola.

1.

a)
b)

2.

x 2 12 y
2
y 3 20 x

Find and graph the equation of each

parabola.

a) Vertex at (0,0); focus at (0,3)

b) Vertex at (1,-5); directrix at x=-1
c) Vertex at (6,8); passes through (5,10) and (5,6)

Homework (1/2 cw)

Ellipse
Standard Equation, Center @ (0,0)
Standard Equation, Center @ (h,k)
Graph an ellipse (how? / steps / guide)

Hyperbola
Standard Equation, Center @ (0,0)
Standard Equation, Center @ (h,k)
Fundamental Rectangle
Graph a hyperbola (how? / steps / guide)

Write

reference/source material

Unit II: Conics

ELLIPSE

Ellipse
Definition:
An ellipse is the set of all points P in a plane

such that the sum of the distances from P to two

other fixed point F and F is a positive constant.
Each of the fixed points is called focus (plural
foci)

Ellipse
Derive the equation of the
ellipse:
By defintion of an ellipse:

Use the distance formula to

compute the lengths of FP
and PF.

Ellipse
Square

both sides of equation(2) and simplify:

Square

both sides and simplify:

Ellipse
The

shortest distance between two points is a line

segment, d(FP) + d(PF) > d(FF)
Therefore, 2a > 2c thus, a > c and a2 - c2 is positive
number which will be called b2.
Let b2 = a2 - c2, substitute to equation(3)
Dividing

both sides of equation(4) by a2b2 gives the

equation:

Ellipse

To find the coordinates of the vertices

V and V, we substitute 0 for y and
solve for x:

The coordinates of V are (a,0) and the

coordinates of V are (-a,0), a is the
distance between the center of the
ellipse and either of its vertices.
The center of the ellipse is the
midpoint of the major axis.

To find the coordinates B and B, we

substitute 0 for x and solve for y:

The coordinates of B are (0,b) and

the coordinates of B are (0,-b) , the
distance between the center of the
ellipse and either endpoint of the
minor axis is b.

Ellipse
Major

Axis on x-axis, Center (0,0)

Ellipse
Major

Axis on y-axis, Center (0,0)

Ellipse

Ellipse
Major

Axis Horizontal, Center (h,k)

Ellipse
Major

Axis Vertical, Center (h,k)

Ellipse

Ellipse
Note:
The larger denominator in the equation

of an ellipse determine whether the foci,

the vertices, and the major axis are
along
a b the x or y axis.
c2 a2 b2

c where a>c
e
Eccentricity, a
, e<1
d1 d 2 2a
2
2
b

a=
length of Latus Rectum

Ellipse
General

form of the equation of a

ellipse:
2

Ax Cy Dx Ey F 0

Provided AC

Ellipse (Examples)
Sketch

the following:

(Label all the input

parts)
9 x 2 25 y 2 225 0
a) 16 x 2 9 y 2 64 x 54 y 1 0
b)

Find the equation of the ellipse for

the ff condition: (Sketch)
a) Vertices at (5, 0) and foci
4 at (4,0)
b) Vertices at (0, 10), eccentricity
5

Ellipse (Practice
Problems)

Find the equation of the ellipse for

the ff condition: (Sketch)
a) Minor axis length = 12 units, distance

between foci = 16, center at origin and x-axis

as the major axis.
b) Eccentricity, e = , foci on the y-axis, center
at the origin and passing through (6,4)

Find the equation of the graph of all

points the sum of whose distances
from (3,0) and (9,0) is 12 units.

Unit II: Conics

HYPERBOLA

Hyperbola
Definition:
An hyperbola is the set of all points P in

a plane such that the difference of the

distances of each point of the set from two
fixed points(foci) in the plane is constant.

Hyperbola
Terms:
Foci of the hyperbola
points F and F
Center
the midpoint of chord FF
Vertices
points V and V, where the
hyperbola intersects FF
Transverse Axis
segment VV
Conjugate Axis
segment BB

Hyperbola

Hyperbola

Hyperbola
Foci

on x-axis, Center at (0,0)

Hyperbola
Foci

on y-axis, Center at (0,0)

Hyperbola

Hyperbola
Transverse

(h,k)

Axis Horizontal, Center at

Hyperbola
Transverse

(h,k)

Axis Vertical, Center at

Hyperbola

Hyperbola

Fundamental
Rectangle
Form rectangle RSPQ

Asymptotes of the
Hyperbola
The extended
diagonals of the
rectangle

Hyperbola
Equations

of the Asymptotes

Foci on x-axis, Center at (0,0)

b and
b
y x
y x
a
a

Foci on y-axis, Center at (0,0)

a
a and
y x
y x
b
b

Hyperbola
Equations

of the Asymptotes

Foci on x-axis, Center at (h,k)

b
bh
b
bh
and

y x k
y x k
a
a
a
a

Foci on y-axis, Center at (h,k)

and
a
ah
a
ah

y x k
y x k
b
b
b
b

Hyperbola
General

form of the equation of a

hyperbola:
2
2

Ax Cy Dx Ey F 0

Hyperbola (Examples)
Graph
a)

the hyperbola:

x y 2 x 4 y 12
2

Write

the equation of the hyperbola:

a) vertices V(4,0) and V(-4,0) and a focus at F(5,0)

b) vertices (3,-3) and (3, 3) and a focus at (3,5)

)Find

the area of the fundamental rectangle

of the hyperbola:
a)

x y 4x 6 y 6
2

Hyperbola (Practice
Problems)
Write

the equation of each hyperbola:

a) Center (2,4); a =2, b=3; transverse axis

is horizontal
b) Foci (0,10) and (0,-10);
c) Center (5,3); vertex (5,6); passes through
(1,8)

Graph the equation of the hyperbola:

Unit II: Conics

TRANSLATION and
ROTATION OF AXES

Translation of Axes
Simplification

x x' h

y y ' k

Translation of Axes
Examples
By translation of axes simplify the

equation:
x 2 6 x 6 y 15 0
Given the equation of a function,

translate the origin so that the new

equation
first-degree
terms:
2 x 2 5 y 2will
16have
x 20 yno
108
0

Rotation of Axes
x OM ON MN ON RS
y MP MR RP NS RP
Rotation

Formulas:

x x' cos y ' sin

y x' sin y ' cos

Rotation of Axes
Example:

x y 9 0, by
Transform the equation
2

rotating the axes through 45.

Find the acute angle of rotation such that the

transformed equation of

+ = 8

Unit II: Conics

APPLICATIONS OF
CONICS

Application of Conics
Fin

dthe longest and shortest

2
2
x

y
2 y circle
20 0
distance from (10,7) to4 xthe

The

orbit of the earth is an ellipse

with the sun at a focus, the semimajor 93 million miles, and the
eccentricity is 1/60. Find the greatest
and least distance of the earth from
the sun.

Application of Conics
An

arch in the form of a parabolic curve with a

vertical axis is 60 m across the bottom. The
highest point is 16 m above the horizontal
base. What is the length of a beam placed
horizontally across the arch 3 m below the
top?

An

overpass arc is semi-elliptical, 40 m across

the base and 15 m high at the center. What is
the maximum height of truck, 10 m wide at
the top which can pass through the overpass.