Conic sections

Introduction :
❖ Conics or conic sections were studied by Greek mathematicians, with Apollonius
of Pergo’s work on their properties around 200 B.C.

❖ Conics sections are planes, cut at varied angles from a cone. The shapes vary
according to the angle at which it is cut from the cone.

❖ As they are cut from cones, they are called Conies. Further, they have some
common properties as they all belong to cones. These curved sections are
related to.
History :
➢ Conic sections date back to ancient the
use of construction of a cone Greece and
was thought to eventually his solution
became discovered by Menachem’s
around known as “conic sections”. 360-
350 B.C . what eventually resulted in the
discovery of Conic sections began with a
simple problem.
➢ It is believed that the great king Minos
wanted to build a tomb of his son,
glaucous , but felt that his tomb was too
small. This was later deemed “doubling
the cube”.
➢ Menachem was at that time and a
student of Eudoxus , a famous Greek
scholar. To solve the case of “doubling
the cube ” he focused on mean
proportion .
World applications :
• Conic sections are used by
architectand architectural
engineering. They can be seen
in wide variety in the world
in building, churches, and arches.
What is Conic sections ?
▪ Conic section is a curve obtained by the
intersection of the surface of a cone
with a plane.
▪ Thus, by cutting and taking different
slices(planes) at different angles to the
edge of a cone, we can create a circle,
an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola, as
given below
▪ The circle is a type of ellipse, the other
sections are non-circular. So, the circle
is of fourth type.
Types of conic sections:
❖ Circle
❖ Ellipses
❖ Parabola
❖ Hyperbola
Real world applications of Conics:
Circle:
Circles are defined as a set of points
that are equidistant (the same distance)
from a certain point; this distance is
called the radius of a circle.
Applications of circles:
Wheel:
Circles are the best shape for a bicycle
because they roll very easily as they are
round. The center point would be the (h,k)
in the equation and all points along the
outer edge would be the (x,y) values. The
radius would be represented by the bars
supporting the wheel that run from center to
the outer rim.
Clock:
Clock It is a cycle of 60 seconds, 60 min and
12 hours. 60/12 = 5 hence 5 minutes
increments, circle because cycles are circular
they repeat once the cycle runs through
easiest way to repeat the cycle in a circular or
loop
Parabola in Real Life

➢ Parabola is obtained by slicing a cone

parallel to the edge of the cone. It is of U –
shape as a stretched geometric plane. This
formula Y=X2 On the x – y axis.
➢ Mathematician Menaechmus derived
this formula.
➢ Parabola is found in nature and in
works of man
Parabola:
• A set of all the points in the
plane equidistant from a
given fixed point and a given
fixed line in the plane is a
parabola. - The fixed point is
focus. - The fixed line is the
directrix.
Applications of Parabola:
Satellites dish:
▪ The shape of a cross section of a satellite
antenna is a parabola. The shape of the antenna
is a paraboloid. The ‘dish’ part of the antenna is
just a reflective surface. The actual antenna is
the object held up in the center by an arm that
comes off the side of the dish. The antenna is
positioned at the focus. Any energy that parallel
to the axis of the parabola will reflect back to
the focus of the parabola regardless of where
the energy strikes the surface.
▪ The Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco in California
is famous with parabolic
spans on both sides.
▪ The stretched arc of a rocket
launch is parabolic.
▪ Automobile headlights are
also with parabola type.
Ellipses :
An ellipse is the set of all
points in the plane, the sum
of whose distances from two
fixed points is a given positive
constant that is greater than
the distance between the
fixed points.
Applications of ellipses:
o Ellipse are contributed to the real world
because of Oval shape.
o Tilt a glass of water and the surface of the
liquid acquires an elliptical outline.
o The Tycho Brahe plantarium is located in
Denmark this building takes the form of an
Ellipse and it is clearly shown. Any cylinder
Sliced at an angle will reveal an ellipse.
o Footballs are elliptic.
Hyperbolas:
A hyperbola is the set of all points in
the plane, the difference of whose
distances from two fixed distinct points
is given a positive constant that is less
than the distance between them.
Applications of Hyperbolas:
❖ In the architecture of the James S
Mcdonell Planetarium, a hyperbola is
formed.
❖ When you tum a lamp on, you get
a hyperbola, if the lamp is open from
the top and the bottom the light
comes out and form a hyperbola. The
asymptote can be seen coming out
from top and the bottom.
Hyperbolas in real life:
➢A guitar is an example of hyperbola as its sides
form hyperbola
➢Dulles Airport has a design of hyperbolic
parabolic. It has one cross-section of a
hyperbola and the other a parabola.
➢Gear Transmission having pair of hyperbolic
gears. It is with skewed axles and hourglass
shape giving hyperbola shape. The hyperbolic
gears transmit motion to the skewed axle.
Conclusion:

Conic sections are in many objects that we

use in our everyday life they are also on
objects we ride in and sometimes the
buildings we go in. Many things are shaped
in parabolas, circles, ellipses, and
hyperbolas and because of they way things
are shaped it gives us the opportunity to
use the items correctly because they are
made correctly in the right shape