Common Properties of Parabola, Ellipse and

Hyperbola
1) Harmonic Mean of segments of focal chord is equal to semi-latus rectum

2) Focus is Pole of corresponding Directrix, and directrix is polar of corresponding

focus

3) Chord of contact drawn from any point on directrix is a focal chord

4) Point of intersection of tangents drawn at ends of a focal chord always lies on

directrix

5) If the straight line joining two points P , P’ of a conic meet the directrix in F , the
straight line FS will bisect the angle between PS and 𝑃’𝑆 produced.

6) If QSQ’ be a focal chord of a conic, and P any point of the conic, and if QP , Q’P meet
the directrix in E and F , the angle ESF is a right angle.

7) The straight lines joining the extremities of two focal chords intersect in the
directrix.
8) A focal chord is divided harmonically at the focus and the point where it meets the
directrix

9) The straight line, drawn from the focus to the point in which the tangent meets the
directrix, is at right angles to the straight line drawn from the focus to the point of
contact.

10) If a chord P’P meet the directrix in F , and if the line bisecting the PSP’ meet the
curve in q and q’, then Fq and Fq’ will be the tangents at q and q’.

11) If the tangent at any point P of a conic intersect the directrix in F , and the latus
rectum produced in D, then SD : SF = AS : AX
 Properties of Parabola
12) Let

PT be tangent to parabola at P
PN be normal to parabola at P
PM ^ Directrix.
S be focus of parabola
Q is the point of intersection of PT and Tangent at vertex
K is the point of intersection PT and directrix.
Now, we have the following results:

13) PMTS is a rhombus. This rhombus implies the following results.

PM = PS = MT = TS = SN (sides of a rhombus are equal).

14) Q is the mid-point of PT and SM (diagonals of a rhombus always bisect each other).

15) PT and PN bisects ÐSPM (diagonals of a rhombus bisect the angles of rhombus)

16) Tangent, and Normal at any point P are the bisectors of the angle between the focal
chord through P and the perpendicular from P on the directrix.

17) All rays emanating from focus S will become parallel to the axis of the parabola after
reflection.

18) All rays which are parallel to axis of parabola, will pass through focus S, after
reflection
19) Foot of perpendicular from focus on any tangent always lies on tangent at vertex (SQ
^ PT) (diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular)

20) Locus of foot of perpendicular drawn from focus of parabola on any tangent is
Tangent at vertex.

21) If a tangent to parabola intersects T@V(tangent at vertex) at Q, then the line passing
through Q, and perpendicular to tangent also passes through focus of parabola

22) Image of focus in any tangent always lies on directrix (M is image of S in PT)
(diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular bisectors of each other).

23) The portion of a tangent to a parabola cut off between the directrix and the curve
subtends a right angle at the focus.

24) The tangents at the extremities of a focal chord intersect at right angles on the
directrix, and hence a circle on any focal chord as diameter touches the directrix. A
circle on any focal radii as diameter touches the tangent at the vertex.

25) Any tangent to a parabola and the perpendicular on it from the focus meet on the
tangent at the vertex i.e. locus of the feet of the perpendicular drawn from focus
upon a variable tangent is the tangent drawn to the parabola at its vertex

26) If the tangents at P and Q meet in T, then:

TP and TQ subtend equal angles at the focus S
ST2 = SP · SQ
The triangles SPT and STQ are similar.

27) Semi-latus rectum of the parabola y2 = 4ax, is the harmonic mean between segments
of any focal chord of the parabola i.e., if PSP’ is a focal chord (S is focus), then
Latus − Rectum 2 ∙ 𝑆𝑃 ∙ 𝑆𝑃! 2
= = = 𝐻𝑀 (𝑆𝑃, 𝑆𝑃! )
2 𝑆𝑃 + 𝑆𝑃 ! 1 1
𝑆𝑃 + 𝑆𝑃!
28) The circle circumscribing the triangle formed by any three tangents to a parabola
passes through the focus.

29) The orthocentre of any triangle formed by three tangents to a parabola y2 = 4ax lies
on the directrix & has the co-ordinates (– a, a (t1 + t2 + t3 + t1t2t3)).

30) The area of the triangle formed by three points on a parabola is twice the area of the
triangle formed by the tangents at these points.

31) Tangents at the ends of any focal chord intersect on the directrix. The chords of
contact of any point on the directrix always passes through focus.

32) Eccentricity of STANDARD ellipse

smaller denominator
𝑒 = j1 −
larger deonminator
kllllllmlllllln
"#$% '( )($$ %*+, -

33) Eccentricity of STANDARD hyperbola

denominator whose sign is − ve after making
𝑒= 1+ o q
j deonminator whose sign is + ve R. H. S. = 1
klllllllllmllllllllln
"+. '( /- 01 2- 01 3-

34)

35)
36)

37)

38)

39)

40)

41)
42)

43)

44)

45)

ELLIPSE
46)
47)

48)

49)

50)
51)

52)

53)

54)

55)
56)

57)

58)

59)

60)

61)
62)

63)

64)

65)
66)

67)

68)
69)

70)

71)

72)
73)

HYPERBOLA
74)

75)

76)
77)

78)

79)

80)

81)
82)

83)

84)

85)
86)

87)

88)

89)
90)

91)

92)
93)

94)

95)
96)

97)

98)
99)

100)

101)
102)

103)

104)