1.

3 Conic Sections

1.3 Conic Sections

Def. A line lying
entirely on the
cone is called a
generator of the
cone, and all
generators of a
cone pass
through its
vertex .

1.3 Conic Sections

Def. A conic section is the intersection of a
plane and a right circular cone with two
nappes.

Types of Conic Sections

A degenerate

conic is either a point, a

circle, a line or two intersecting lines.

A non-degenerate

conic is either a
parabola, an ellipse or a hyperbola

Non-degenerate Conics
If

the cutting plane is parallel to one and

only one generator, the curve of
intersection is called a parabola.

Non-degenerate Conics
If the cutting plane is not parallel to any
generator; that is, it cuts all generators, the
curve of intersection is called an ellipse

Non-degenerate Conics
If the cutting plane is parallel to two
generators, the curve of intersection is a
hyperbola.

This is a screenshot from the movie Sex, Lies and Videotape

(1989). The image shows a projection of two circles onto a
plane. The projection of any circle onto a plane forms a conic
section. In this case, it is a hyperbola.

Flashlight Conic Sections

The light emitted from a flashlight with a
circular lens is projected as a cone from
the light bulb. You can create Flashlight
Conic Sections by projecting the light at
the wall, allowing the wall to be the plane
and the light from the flashlight being the
cone. Try the following shapes:

Thm 1.3.1(Non-degenerate conic)

A non-degenerate conic is a set of points
on the plane such that the ratio of the
undirected distance of P from a fixed point
(called focus) to the undirected distance
of P from a fixed line not through the fixed
point (called the directrix) is a constant.

Non-degenerate Conics
The

constant ratio mentioned in Theorem

1.3.1 is called the eccentricity of the
conic, which we will denote by e.

Let

P be a point on a conic with focus at F

and let Q be the projection of P on the
directrix. Then from Theorem 1.3.1, FP e QP

Non-degenerate Conics
Def. The line through a focus and
perpendicular to a directrix of a conic is
called the principal axis of the conic. A
point of intersection of the conic and its
principal axis is called a vertex of the
conic.

Thm 1.3.2 (Non-degenerate Conics)

Given the eccentricity e of a conic, the conic is

a parabola if e 1 ;
an ellipse if 0 e 1 ;
a hyperbola if e 1 .

1.4 The Parabola

Def. A parabola is the set of all points on
the plane which are equidistant from a
fixed point and a fixed line.

The Parabola
FP QP

x p y x p
2

Squaring both sides of the last equation, we get

x p y x p
y x p x p
y x p x p x p x p
y 2 p 2 x 4 px
2

y 4 px
2

Standard Equation of a Parabola

The equation y 4 px is called the standard
equation of a parabola with vertex at the
origin, focus at p ,0 , the line given by
x p as directrix, and the x-axis as its
principal axis.
2

Parabola
If y 4 px is the equation of a parabola, then
a. the parabola opens to right if p 0 ;
b. the parabola opens to the left if p 0 .
2

Standard Equation of a Parabola

The equation is x 4 py called the standard
equation of a parabola with vertex at the
origin, focus at 0 , p , the line given by
y p as directrix and the y-axis as its
principal axis.
2

Parabola
If x 4 py is the equation of a parabola, then
a. the parabola opens upward if p 0 ;
b. the parabola opens downward if p 0 .
2

Latus Rectum of the Parabola

Def. The line segment joining two (2) points
on a parabola which passes through the
focus of the parabola and perpendicular to
its principal axis is called the latus rectum
of the parabola.

Remark

The length of the latus rectum of a

parabola given by y 4 px or x 4 py is
4p .
2

Example
For each of the given equation of a parabola, find
the
vertex
focus
principal axis
directrix
endpoints of the latus rectum
Draw a sketch of the parabola.

a. x 4 y
2

b. y 2 12 x

Solution for (a)

x 4y
2

the vertex is at the origin (0,0) with the yaxis as the principal axis.
.p 1
parabola opens upward, the focus is p=1
unit above the vertex. Thus, the focus is at
(0,1).
The directrix is 1 unit below the vertex, so
an equation of the directrix is y = -1.
endpoints of the latus rectum are
0 2,1 2,1 and 2,1

Sketch of the graph of x 2 4 y

Solution for (b) y 2 12 x

the vertex is at the origin (0,0) with the xaxis as the principal axis.
.p 3
parabola opens to the left, the focus is the
focus is at (0,1).
directrix is x=3.
endpoints of the latus rectum are

3,0 6 3,6 and 3,6

Sketch of the graph of y 12 x

2

General Equation of the Parabola

If the vertex of a parabola is at the point h ,k
and the principal axis of the parabola is
the line y k , the standard equation of the
parabola is

y k 4 p x h
2

(As before, the parabola opens to the right or to

the left depending on the sign of p.)

General Equation of the Parabola

If the vertex of a parabola is at the point h ,k
and the principal axis of the parabola is
the line x h , the standard equation of the
parabola is

x h

4p y k

(As before, the parabola opens upward or

downward depending on the sign of p.)

Example
For each of the given equation of a
parabola,
find
the
following:
the
coordinates of the vertex and the focus,
the principal axis, an equation of the
directrix, and the coordinates of the
endpoints of the latus rectum. Draw a
sketch of the parabola:
a.

a. x 2 12 y 1
2

b. y 2 16 x 3
2

Solution for (a)

x 2

12 y 1

the vertex is at the origin (2,1), with x=2 as

the principal axis.
.p 3
parabola opens upward, the focus is at
(2,1+3) = (2,4).
directrix is y 2 .
endpoints of the latus rectum are
2 6,4 8,4 and 4,4

Sketch of the graph of x 2 12 y 1

2

Solution for (b) y 2 16 x 3

2

the vertex is at the origin (-3,-2), with y=-2

as the principal axis.
.p 4
parabola opens to the left, the focus is at (( 3 4 , 2) = ( 7, 2).
directrix is x 1
endpoints of the latus rectum are
7,2 8 7,6 and 7,10

Sketch of the graph of y 2 16 x 3

2

Example
For each of the given equation of a
parabola,
find
the
following:
the
coordinates of the vertex and the focus,
the principal axis, an equation of the
directrix, and the coordinates of the
endpoints of the latus rectum. Draw a
2
sketch of the parabola: x 4 x 8 y 28 0

Solution

Note that x 4 x 4 8 y 28 4
2

x 4 x 4 8 y 32
2
x 2 8 y 4 thus,
2

the vertex is at the origin (2,-4), with x=2

as the principal axis.
.p 2
parabola opens to the left, the focus is the
focus is at 2,2 .
directrix is y 6 .
endpoints of the latus rectum are
2 4,2 6,2 and 2,2

Sketch of the graph of x 4 x 8 y 28 0

2

Sources of Figures/Pictures
http://math2.org/math/algebra/conics.htmhttp://
www.mathacademy.com/pr/prime/articles/conics/index.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conic_section
http://xahlee.org/SpecialPlaneCurves_dir/ConicSections_dir/
conicSections.html
http://www.clausentech.com/lchs/dclausen/algebra2/conic_se
ctions.htm

End of 1.4