Equation of Normal

Form Ellipse Hyperbola

Cartesian form:
( )
1 1
, P x y
2 2
2 2
1 1
a x b y
a b
x y
=
2 2
2 2
1 1
a x b y
a b
x y
+ = +
Parametric form:
( ) P u
2 2
sec cos ax by ec a b u u =
2 2
cos cot ax by a b u u + = +
Slope form:
( )
2 2
2 2 2
m a b
y mx
b m a

=
+

( )
2 2
2 2 2
m a b
y mx
b m a
+
=
+


Slope form of normal
Ellipse:
Let mx y c = + be the equation of the normal to the ellipse
2 2
2 2
1
x y
a b
+ = . The equation of the
normal at
( ) P u is
2 2
sec bycosec a ax b u u = ---------------------(1)
Comparing mx y c = with equation (1) we get
2 2
sec cos
1
a b ec a b
m c
u u
= =

, so
( ) ( )
2 2 2 2
cos & sin
ac bc
a b m a b
u u

= =

.
Using
2 2
sin cos 1 u u + = we get
( )
2 2
2
2
2 2
1
c a
b
m
a b
| |
+ =
|
|

\ .

So
( )
2 2 2
2
2 2 2
m a b
c
b m a

=
+
.
( )
2 2
2 2 2
m a b
c
b m a

=
+
. Thus the equation of the normal in the slope
form is
( )
2 2
2 2 2
m a b
y mx
b m a

=
+

Hyperbola:
For the hyperbola just replace
2 2
b with b and we get the slope form of the normal as
( )
2 2
2 2 2
m a b
y mx
b m a
+
=
+