11.

3: Conic Sections – The Ellipse

An ellipse is the set of points that maintain a constant total distance from two points called the foci.
Similar in shape to a circle, an ellipse differs in that the horizontal and vertical “diameters” differ
from one another.

An ellipse’s size is described by its two perpendicular axes of symmetry, called the major and minor axes.
The major axis is the longer of the two axes and is the axis on which the foci are located. The
minor axis is perpendicular to the major axis and bisects its length. The two axes intersect in
the ellipse’s center.

Ex.

x - h y - k
2 2

Standard form of an ellipse is given by the equation + = 1 , where (h, k) is the center of
a2 b2
the ellipse and 2a and 2b give the lengths of the major and minor axes. The foci are located  c
units from the center along the major axis, where c 2 = a 2 - b 2 .

Ex.
As with all of the conic sections, general form of the ellipse comes from the equation
Ax 2 + Bxy + Cy 2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0 , and, in an ellipse, A  C and B = 0.

By completing the square for both variables, in the same manner as the circle, we are able to change
general form to standard form.

Ex.

Given enough information about the major axis, minor axis, center and foci, we are able to ascertain the
standard form for the equation of an ellipse.

Ex.
Homework:

Given the equations in standard form for the ellipses below, give the center, major and minor axes,
the length of each axis, and the coordinates of the foci of the ellipse, then graph the ellipse.

 x + 8  y - 6  x + 2  y - 4
2 2 2 2

1. + =1 2. + =1
25 9 36 100

 x - 9  y - 1  x + 2  y - 2
2 2 2 2

3. + =1 4. + =1
20 4 9 45

2 2
 2  3
x -  y -  x - 4
2
 y + 7
2

5.  3
+  4
=1 6. + =1
5 4 25 36

2
 1
x - 4
2 y -   x - 6
2
 y + 9
2

+ 
2
7. =1 8. + =1
100 81 1 16
9 9

Convert the given equations into standard form, and then give the center, the major and minor axes,
the length of each axis, and the coordinates of the foci.

9. 25x 2 + 9y 2 + 150x - 36y + 36 = 0 10. 16x 2 + 25y 2 - 128x + 300y - 444 = 0

11. 4x 2 + y 2 - 64x + 14y + 301 = 0 12. 4x 2 + 16y 2 + 4x - 8y - 142 = 0

13. 36x 2 + 16y 2 + 288x - 96y + 711 = 0

Give the equation, in standard form, for the ellipse with the given properties.

14. Center (5, 4), horizontal major axis of length 10, and minor axis of length 6.

15. Minor axis along y = 3 with length 16 and major axis along x = 5 with length 20.

16. Foci at (-5, 3) and (5, 3) and endpoints of the ellipse at (-8, 3) and (8, 3).

17. Endpoints of the ellipse located at (6, 2), (-1, 7), (-8, 2), and (-1, -3).

18. Foci at (-5, 8) and (-5, 0) and a vertical major axis of length 20.

19. Foci at (4, 9) and (8, 9) and a vertical minor axis of length 4.

20. Endpoints of the major axis at (6, -8) and (6, 12) and a distance of 12 between the foci.
Give the equation, in standard form of the ellipses graphed below.

21. 10
y
22. y

6
8

4
x
- 10 -8 -6 -4 -2 2

2
-2

x
2 4 6 8 10 -4

y
23. 2
y
24. 12

10
x
-8 -6 -4 -2 2
8

-2
6

4
-4

-6
x
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6

-8 -2

y
25. 2

x
- 12 - 10 -8 -6 -4 -2 2

-2

-4

-6

-8

- 10

- 12