Conic Section

The conic sections, or conics, are curves obtained by making sections, or cuts, at particular angles through a cone.
The four different types of conic section are:
• The circle, where the cone is cut at right-angles to its axis;

• The ellipse, where the cone is cut at an oblique angle shallower than a generator.

• The parabola, where the cone is cut parallel to a generator.

• The hyperbola, where a double cone is cut at an angle steeper than a generator.

Where axis is the central line about which the cone is symmetric and generator is a line which, when rotated
about the axis, sweeps out the cone.

ELLIPSE
An ellipse is as set of all point (x, y) in the xy plane whose distance from two fixed points in the plane is constant.

The two fixed points are called foci (plural of focus).

The line passing through the foci and the vertices is called the principal axis.

PROPERTIES:
1. Halfway between the two foci is the center of the ellipse.
2. The points where the curve crosses the principal axis are called the vertices (plural of vertex) pf the
ellipse.
3. The line that is perpendicular to the principal axis at the center is called the conjugate axis.
4. The points where the curve crosses the conjugate axis are called the intercepts.

The following figure illustrates the parts of an ellipse.

intercept

vertex focus focus vertex

center
Principal axis
intercept

Conjugate axis
 CASE 1: PRINCIPAL AXIS IS X- CASE 2: PRINCIPAL AXIS IS
AXIS Y-AXIS
V1(0, b)

F1(0, c)
B2(-a, 0) B1(a, 0)

F1(0, -c)

V2(0, -b)

Graph B1(0, b)
Equation
x2 + y2 = 1 x2 + y2 = 1
V2(-a, 0) aF22(-c, 0) b2 F (c, 0) a2 b2
1 V1(a, 0)
How to determine Ca(0,
> 0)b b>a
the axis
Foci F (±c,B20)
(0, -b) F (0, ±c)

Vertices V (±a, 0) V (0, ±b)

Intercepts B (0, ±b) B (±a, 0)

Length of major 2a 2b
axis
Length of minor 2b 2a
axis
To solve for the a2 = b2 + c2 b2 = a2 + c2
values of a, b, or c b2 = a2 – c2 a2 = b2 – c2
c2 = a2 – b2 c2 = b2 – a2

PARABOLA
A parabola is the set of all points (x, y) in the xy plane whose distance from the fixed point is equal to the
distance from the fixed line.
The fixed point is called the focus.
The fixed line is called the directrix.

PROPERTIES:
1. The line through the focus and perpendicular to the directrix is the principal axis.
2. the point of intersection of the parabola and its principal axis is called the vertex. The vertex is halfway
between the focus and the directrix on the principal axis.
3. The line through the focus connecting two points on the parabola and
perpendicular to the principal axis is called the latus rectum. In the
figure, segment AB is the latus rectum. It is also called the focal Principal Axis
width.
The length of the latus rectum is 4c.
Focus
4. The parabola has no center. B A
5. The curve is symmetric about the principal axis.
Vertex

Directrix
 The discussion of the parabola is limited to a parabola whose vertex is at the origin and the principal axis
is either x-axis or y-axis.

Study the following table:

EQUATION OF
PRINCIPAL COORDINATES
CASE EQUATION THE GRAPH
AXIS OF THE FOCUS
DIRECTRIX

x = -c

Parabola x - axis y2 = 4cx F ( c, 0 ) x = -c F (c, 0)

Opens to the
Right

F (-c, 0) x=c
Parabola x - axis y2 = - 4cx F ( - c, 0 ) x=c
Opens to the
Left

F ( 0, c)
Parabola y - axis x2 = 4cy F (0 , c) y=-c
Opens
Upward
y = -c

y=c
2
y - axis x = - 4cy F (0 , - c) y= c
Parabola
Opens F ( 0, -c)
Downward

HYPERBOLA

A hyperbola is the set of all points in a plane, the difference of whose distances from two fixed points is
a constant.
Properties of the hyperbola with centre (0, 0) and foci ( ± c, 0)
x2 y2
Equation: 2 − 2 = 1 ; a > 0, b > 0
a b

Vertices: ( ± a, 0), Transverse axis: horizontal, length 2a, Conjugate axis: vertical, length 2b
b
Asymptotes: y = ± x Foci: ( ± c,0) where c 2 = a 2 + b 2
a
 2b 2
Centre: (0, 0) Latus-rectum: vertical, length
a

b
y =− x b
a y= x
a

 b
W1 (0, b) L1 c, 
 a

F2 ( −c,0)V2 ( −a,0) V1 ( a,0) F1 (c,0)

 b2 
L1 ' 
c , − 

W2 (0,−b)  a 

Along Y-axis:
The properties of the hyperbola with centre (0, 0) and foci ( ± c, 0)
y2 x2
Equation: 2 − 2 = 1 ; a > 0, b > 0
b a
Vertices: (0, ± b), Centre: (0, 0)
Transverse axis: horizontal, length 2b, Conjugate axis: vertical, length 2a
b
Asymptotes: y = ± x Foci: (0, ± c) where c 2 = a 2 + b 2
a
2a 2
Latus rectum: horizontal, length
b