Conic Sections

Mathworld

Circle

National Science Foundation

Circle
The Standard Form of a circle with a center at (0,0) and a
radius, r, is..

x y r
2

center (0,0)
radius = 2

Copyright 1999-2004 Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center

Circles
The Standard Form of a circle with a center at (h,k) and
a radius, r, is..

( x h) ( y k ) r
2

center (3,3)
radius = 2

Copyright 1999-2004 Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center

Parabolas

Art Mayoff

Long Island Fountain Company

Whats in a Parabola
A parabola is the set of all points in a plane such
that each point in the set is equidistant from a
line called the directrix and a fixed point called
the focus.

Copyright 1997-2004, Math Academy Online / Platonic Realms.

Why is the focus so important?

Jill Britton, September 25, 2003

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens to the right
and has a vertex at (0,0) is

4 px

1999 Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Parabola
The Parabola that opens to the right and has a vertex at
(0,0) has the following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (p,0)
This makes the equation of the directrix x = -p
The makes the axis of symmetry the x-axis (y = 0)

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens to the left
and has a vertex at (0,0) is

4 px

Shelly Walsh

Parabola
The Parabola that opens to the left and has a vertex at
(0,0) has the following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus(-p,0)
This makes the equation of the directrix x = p
The makes the axis of symmetry the x-axis (y = 0)

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens up and
has a vertex at (0,0) is

4 py

1999-2003 SparkNotes LLC, All Rights Reserved

Parabola
The Parabola that opens up and has a vertex at (0,0)
has the following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (0,p)
This makes the equation of the directrix y = -p
This makes the axis of symmetry the y-axis (x = 0)

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens down and
has a vertex at (0,0) is

4 py

1999 Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Parabola
The Parabola that opens down and has a vertex at (0,0)
has the following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (0,-p)
This makes the equation of the directrix y = p
This makes the axis of symmetry the y-axis (x = 0)

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens to the right
and has a vertex at (h,k) is

( y k ) 4 p( x h)
2

Shelly Walsh

Parabola
The Parabola that opens to the right and has a vertex at
(h,k) has the following characteristics..
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (h+p, k)
This makes the equation of the directrix x = h p
This makes the axis of symmetry

b
y
2a

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens to the left
and has a vertex at (h,k) is

( y k ) 4 p( x h)
2

June Jones, University of Georgia

Parabola
The Parabola that opens to the left and has a vertex at
(h,k) has the following characteristics

p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the

focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (h p, k)
This makes the equation of the directrix x = h + p
The makes the axis of symmetry
b

2a

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens up and has
a vertex at (h,k) is

( x h) 4 p( y k )
2

Copyright 1999-2004 Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center

Parabola
The Parabola that opens up and has a vertex at (h,k) has
the following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the
focus or directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (h , k + p)
This makes the equation of the directrix y = k p
The makes the axis of symmetry

b
x
2a

Parabola
The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
down and has a vertex at (h,k) is

( x h)

4 p( y k )

Copyright 1999-2004 Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center

Parabola
The Parabola that opens down and has a vertex at (h,k) has the
following characteristics
p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to the focus or
directrix
This makes the coordinates of the focus (h , k - p)
This makes the equation of the directrix y = k + p

This makes the axis of symmetry

b
x
2a

Ellipse

Jill Britton, September 25, 2003

Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capital building is elliptic. It was in this room that John Quincy
Adams, while a member of the House of Representatives, discovered this acoustical
phenomenon. He situated his desk at a focal point of the elliptical ceiling, easily
eavesdropping on the private conversations of other House members located near the
other focal point.

What is in an Ellipse?
The set of all points in the plane, the sum of whose
distances from two fixed points, called the foci, is a
constant. (Foci is the plural of focus, and is
pronounced FOH-sigh.)

Copyright 1997-2004, Math Academy Online / Platonic Realms.

Why are the foci of the ellipse

important?
The ellipse has an important property that is
used in the reflection of light and sound waves.
Any light or signal that starts at one focus will
be reflected to the other focus. This principle is
used in lithotripsy, a medical procedure for
treating kidney stones. The patient is placed in
a elliptical tank of water, with the kidney stone
at one focus. High-energy shock waves
generated at the other focus are concentrated
on the stone, pulverizing it.

Why are the foci of the ellipse

important?
St. Paul's Cathedral in London. If a person
whispers near one focus, he can be heard at the
other focus, although he cannot be heard at many
places in between.

1994-2004 Kevin Matthews and Artifice, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ellipse

General Rules

x and y are both squared

Equation always equals(=) 1
Equation is always plus(+)
a2 is always the biggest denominator
c2 = a2 b2
c is the distance from the center to each foci
on the major axis
The center is in the middle of the 2 vertices,
the 2 covertices, and the 2 foci.

Ellipse

General Rules
a is the distance from the center to each
vertex on the major axis
b is the distance from the center to each
vertex on the minor axis (co-vertices)
Major axis has a length of 2a
Minor axis has a length of 2b
Eccentricity(e): e = c/a (The closer e gets to
1, the closer it is to being circular)

Ellipse
The standard form of the ellipse with a center at (0,0)
and a horizontal axis is

x
y

2
2
a
b

Ellipse
The ellipse with a center at (0,0) and a horizontal axis
has the following characteristics

Vertices ( a,0)
Co-Vertices (0, b)
Foci ( c,0)

x2 y2

1
16 9
Cabalbag, Porter, Chadwick, and Liefting

Ellipse
The standard form of the ellipse with a center at (0,0)
and a vertical axis is

x
y

1
2
2
b
a

Ellipse
The ellipse with a center at (0,0) and a vertical axis has
the following characteristics

Vertices (0, a)

Co-Vertices ( b,0)
Foci (0, c)

x2 y2

1
9 81
Cabalbag, Porter, Chadwick, and Liefting

Ellipse
The standard form of the ellipse with a center at (h,k)
and a horizontal axis is

( x h) ( y k )

1
2
2
a
b
2

Ellipse
The ellipse with a center at (h,k) and a horizontal axis
has the following characteristics

Vertices (h a , k)
Co-Vertices (h, k b)
Foci (h c , k)
Sellers, James

Ellipse
The standard form of the ellipse with a center at
(h,k) and a vertical axis is

( x h) ( y k )

1
2
2
b
a
2

Ellipse
The ellipse with a center at (h,k) and a vertical axis
has the following characteristics

Vertices (h, k a)
Co-Vertices (h b , k)
Foci (h, k c)
Joan Bookbinder 1998 -2000

Hyperbola
Jill Britton, September 25, 2003

The huge chimney of a nuclear power plant has the shape of a hyperboloid, as does
the architecture of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium of the St. Louis Science Center.

What is a Hyperbola?
The set of all points in the plane, the
difference of whose distances from two fixed
points, called the foci, remains constant.

Copyright 1997-2004, Math Academy Online / Platonic Realms.

Where are the Hyperbolas?

A sonic boom shock wave has the

shape of a cone, and it intersects
the ground in part of a hyperbola.
It hits every point on this curve at
the same time, so that people in
different places along the curve on
the ground hear it at the same
time. Because the airplane is
moving forward, the hyperbolic
curve moves forward and
eventually the boom can be heard
by everyone in its path.

Jill Britton, September 25, 2003

Hyperbola

General Rules

x and y are both squared

Equation always equals(=) 1
Equation is always minus(-)
a2 is always the first denominator
c2 = a2 + b2
c is the distance from the center to each foci
on the major axis
a is the distance from the center to each
vertex on the major axis

Hyperbola

General Rules
b is the distance from the center to each
midpoint of the rectangle used to draw the
asymptotes. This distance runs
perpendicular to the distance (a).
Major axis has a length of 2a
Eccentricity(e): e = c/a (The closer e gets to
1, the closer it is to being circular
If x2 is first then the hyperbola is horizontal
If y2 is first then the hyperbola is vertical.

Hyperbola

General Rules

The center is in the middle of the 2 vertices and

the 2 foci.
The vertices and the covertices are used to draw
the rectangles that form the asymptotes.
The vertices and the covertices are the midpoints
of the rectangle
The covertices are not labeled on the hyperbola
because they are not actually part of the graph

Hyperbola

The standard form of the Hyperbola with a center at

(0,0) and a horizontal axis is

x
y

1
2
2
a
b

Hyperbola

The Hyperbola with a center at (0,0) and a horizontal

axis has the following characteristics

Vertices ( a,0)
Foci ( c,0)

Asymptotes:

b
y x
a

Hyperbola

The standard form of the Hyperbola with a center at

(0,0) and a vertical axis is

y
x

1
2
2
a
b

Hyperbola

The Hyperbola with a center at (0,0) and a vertical

axis has the following characteristics

Vertices (0, a)
Foci ( 0, c)

Asymptotes:

a
y x
b

Hyperbola

The standard form of the Hyperbola with a center at

(h,k) and a horizontal axis is

( x h) ( y k )

1
2
2
a
b
2

Hyperbola

The Hyperbola with a center at (h,k) and a horizontal

axis has the following characteristics

Vertices (h a, k)
Foci (h c, k )

Asymptotes:

b
y k ( x h)
a

Hyperbola

The standard form of the Hyperbola with a center at

(h,k) and a vertical axis is

( y k ) ( x h)

1
2
2
a
b
2

Hyperbola

The Hyperbola with a center at (h,k) and a vertical

axis has the following characteristics

Vertices (h, k a)
Foci (h, k c)

Asymptotes:

a
y k ( x h)
b
Sellers, James

Rotating the Coordinate Axis

Ax Bxy Cy Dx Ey F 0
2

James Wilson

Equations for Rotating the Coordinate

Axes

x x' cos y' sin

y x' sin y' cos

AC
cot 2
B

or

B
tan 2
AC

Resources
Bookbinder, John. Unit 8: Conic Sections (College Algebra
Online). 2000. June 3, 2004
<http://www.distancemath.com/unit8/ch8p1.htm>.
Britton, Jill. Occurrence of the Conics. September 25, 2003. June 3,
2004 <http://ccins.camosun.bc.ca/~jbritton/jbconics.htm>.

Cabalbag, Christain, and Porter, Amanda and Chadwick, Justin and

Liefting. Nick. Graphing Conic Sections (Microsoft Power Point
Presentation 1997). 2001. June3, 2004
<http://www.granite.k12.ut.us/Hunter_High/StaffPages/Olsen_P/Cla
ssWebSite/2003%20student%20projects/27circlesandelipse.ppt

Resources
Finney, Ross, et. al. Calculus: Graphical, Numerical,
Algebraic. Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley, 1999.
Jones, June. Instructional Unit on Conic Sections. University of
Georgia.
June 3, 2004
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt669/Student.Folders/Jones.June/conic
s/conics.html

Mathews, Kevin. Great Buildings Online. Great Buildings. une 3,

2004 <http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/Saint_Pauls_Cathe
dral.html

Resources
Mayoff, Art. San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
June 3, 2004
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ConicSection.html>.
Mueller, William. Modeling Periodicity .
June 3, 2004
<http://www.wmueller.com/precalculus/funcdata/1_10.html>.
PRIME Articles. Platomic Realms.
June 3, 2004
<http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/prime/index.asp>.

Resources
Quadratics. Spark Notes from Barnes and Noble.
June 3, 2004
<http://www.sparknotes.com/math/algebra1/quadratics/section1.html
Roberts, Donna. Mathematics A . Oswego City School District
Regents Exam Prep.
June, 3, 2004 <http://regentsprep.org/Regents/math/mathtopic.cfm?TopicCode=conics>.
Seek One Web Services, Long Island Fountain
Company. <http://www.lifountain.com/fountainideas.html>.
Sellers, James, Introduction to Conics, June 8, 2004.
http://www.krellinst.org/UCES/archive/resources/conics/newconics.ht
ml

Resources
Walsh, Shelly. Chapter 9 (Precalculus).
June 3, 2004
http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~swalsh/UM/M108Ch9.html
Weissteing, Eric W. "Conic Section." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web
Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ConicSection.html

Wilson, James W. CURVE BUILDING. An Exploration with

Algebraic Relations University of Georgia.
June 3, 2004
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/Texts.Folder/cb/curve.building.html