Chapter 7

Analyzing Conic Sections

Jennifer Huss
 7-1 The Distance and Midpoint
Formulas
• To find the distance between any two points (a,
b) and (c, d), use the distance formula:
Distance = (c – a)2 + (d – b)2

• The midpoint of a line is halfway between the

two endpoints of a line
• To find the midpoint between (a, b) and (c, d),
use the midpoint formula:
Midpoint = (a + c) , (b + d)
2 2
 7-1 Example

Find the distance between (-4, 2) and (-8, 4). Then find the
midpoint between the points.

Distance = [(-8) – (-4)]2 + (4 – 2)2 Midpoint = (-4) + (-8) , 2 + 4

Distance = (-8 + 4)2 + (2)2 2 2
Distance = (-4)2 + (2)2
Midpoint = -12 , 6
Distance = 16 + 4 2 2
Distance= 20
Midpoint = ( -6, 3)
 7-1 Problems

1. Find the distance between (0, 1) and (1, 5).

2. Find the midpoint between (6, -5) and (-2, -7).
3. Find the value for x if the Distance = 53 and
the endpoints are (-3, 2) and (-10, x).
4. If you are given an endpoint (3, 2) and
midpoint (-1, 5), what are the coordinates of
the other endpoint?

4) (-5, 8) 3) x = 0 or x = 4 2) (2, -6) 1) 17

 7-2 Parabolas
• A parabola is a set of points on a Axis of
Symmetry Parabola
plane that are the same distance
from a given point called the focus
and a given line called the directrix
• The axis of symmetry is Focus Latus
Rectum
perpendicular to the directrix and
passes through the parabola at a Vertex
point called the vertex Directrix
• The latus rectum goes through the
focus and is perpendicular to the
axis of symmetry
• If the equation of the parabola
begins with x= then the parabola is
not a function (fails the vertical line
test)
 7-2 Parabolas (cont.)
Important Information About the
Parabolas
Form of the y = a (x – h)2 + k x = a (y – k)2 + h
equation
Axis of x=h y=k
Symmetry
Vertex (h, k) (h, k)
Focus (h, k + 1/4a) (h + 1/4a, k)

Directrix y = k – (1/4)a x = h – (1/4)a

Direction of Opens upward when a > 0 Opens to the right when a > 0 and to
Opening and downward when a < 0 the left when a < 0
Length of Latus 1/a units 1/a units
Rectum
 7-2 Example

Write y = x2 + 4x + 1 in the form y = a (x – h)2 + k and name

the vertex, axis of symmetry, and the direction the
parabola opens.
You can always check your
y = x2 + 4x + 1 answers by graphing.
y = (x2 + 4x +  ) + 1 – 
y = (x2 + 4x + 4) + 1 – 4
y = (x + 2)2 – 3

Vertex: (-2, -3)

Axis of Symmetry: x = -2
The parabola opens up because a = 1
so a > 0.
 7-2 Problems

1. Graph the equation x2 = 8y.

2. For the parabola y2 = -16x name the vertex, focus,
length of latus rectum, and direction of opening. Also,
give the equations of the directrix and axis of
symmetry.
3. Given the vertex (4, 1) and a point on the parabola
(8, 3), find the equation of the parabola.

#2 #1
Graph for Graph for

3) y = (1/8)(x – 4)2 + 1
2) Vertex: (0,0) Focus: (-4,0) Latus rectum: 16 Direction: left Directrix: x = 4 Axis of symmetry: y = 0
 7-3 Circles
• A circle is a set of points
equidistant from a center point
• The radius is a line between
the center and any point on the
circle
• The equation of a circle is
(x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r2 where Radius (r)
Vertex
the radius is r and the vertex is (k, h)
(h, k)
• Sometimes you need to
complete the square twice to
get the equation in this form
(once for x and once for y)
 7-3 Examples
1. Find the center and radius of x 2 + y2 + 4x – 12y – 9 = 0 and
then graph the circle.

x2 + 4x +  + y2 – 12y +  = 9 +  + 
x2 + 4x + 4 + y2 – 12y + 36 = 9 + 4 + 36
(x + 2)2 + (y – 6)2 = 49
Radius = 7 and Center is (-2, 6)
 7-3 Examples (cont.)

2. If a circle has a center (3, -2) and a point on the circle

(7, 1), write the equation of the circle.

Find the radius by the distance formula.

Radius = (7 – 3)2 + (1 – (-2))2
r = (4)2 + (3)2
r = 16 + 9
r = 25
r=5

The equation of the circle will be (x – 3)2 + (y + 2)2 = 25

 7-3 Problems

1. Find the center and radius of x2 + y2 + 4y = 0. Then

graph the circle.
2. If a circle has a center (0, 0) and a point on the circle
(-2, -4) write the equation of the circle.

2) x 2 + y2 = 20 Center (0, -2) and Radius 2 1) x2 + (y + 2)2 = 4 #1

 7-4 Ellipses
• An ellipse is the set of all points
in a plane such that the sum of
Major Axis
the distances from the foci is
constant
• An ellipse has two axes of Focus
symmetry
• The axis of the longer side of Center Minor
the ellipse is called the major Axis
axis and the axis of the shorter
side is the minor axis
Focus
• The focus points always lie on
the major axis
• The intersection of the two
axes is the center of the ellipse
 7-4 Ellipses (cont.)
Is the major axis Center of the
Equation of the Ellipse Foci Points
horizontal or vertical? Ellipse
(x – h)2 + (y – k)2 ( h + c, k) and
=1 Horizontal (h, k)
a2 b2 (h – c, k)

(h, k + c) and
(x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = 1 Vertical (h, k)
(h, k – c)
b2 a2
Important Notes:
• In the above chart, c = a2 – b2
• a2 > b2 always so a2 is always the larger number
•If the a2 is under the x term, the ellipse is horizontal, if the a2 is under the y
term the ellipse is vertical
•You can tell that you are looking at an ellipse because: x2 is added to y2 and
the x2 and y2 are divided by different numbers (if numbers were the same, it’s a
circle)
 7-4 Example
1. Given an equation of an ellipse 16y2 + 9x2 – 96y – 90x = -225 find the
coordinates of the center and foci as well as the lengths of the major and
minor axis. Then draw the graph.

16 (y2 – 6y + ) + 9 (x2 – 10x + ) = -225 + 16 () + 9()

16 (y2 – 6y + 9) + 9 (x2 – 10x + 25) = -225 + 16(9) + 9(25)
16 (y – 3)2 + 9 (x – 5)2 = 144
(y – 3)2 + (x – 5)2
=1
9 16
Center: (5, 3)
16 > 9 so the foci are on the vertical axis
c= 16 – 9
c= 7
Foci: ( 5 + 7, 3) and (5 – 7, 3)
Major Axis Length = 4 (2) = 8
Minor Axis Length = 3 (2) = 6
 7-4 Problems

1. For 49x2 + 16y2 = 784 find the center, the foci, and the
lengths of the major and minor axes. Then draw the
graph.
2. Write an equation for an ellipse with foci (4, 0) and
(-4, 0). The endpoints of the minor axis are (0, 2) and
(0, -2).

20 4
=1
2) X2 + y2 #1
Center: (0, 0) Length of major= 14 Length of minor= 8 1) Foci: (0, - 33) (0, 33)
 7-5 Hyperbolas
• A hyperbola is a set of all points on a
plane such that the absolute value of Hyperbola
the difference (subtraction) of the
distances from a point to the two foci Conjugate
is constant Axis
• The center is the midpoint of the
segment connecting the foci
Transverse
• The vertex is the point on the Axis Focus
Center
hyperbola closest to the center
• The asymptotes are lines the Vertex

hyperbola can approach but never

touch
• The transverse axis goes through Asymptotes

the foci
• The conjugate axis is perpendicular
to the transverse axis at the center
point
 7-5 Hyperbolas (cont.)
Equation of Hyperbola Center Foci Points Equation of Vertex Transverse
Asymptote Axis

(x – h)2 _ (y – k)2 (h, k) (h – c, k) and (h y = +/- (b/a) x (h +a, k) Horizontal

= 1 + c, k) and
a2 b2
(h – a, k)

(y – k)2 _ (x – h)2 (h, k) (h, k – c) and (h, y = +/- (a/b) x (h, k + a) Vertical
= 1 k + c) and
a2 b2
(c = a2 + b2 ) (h, k – a)

You must be looking at a

hyperbola because the x2 and
y2 terms are subtracted
(x2 – y2) or (y2 – x2)
 7-5 Example
Write the standard form of the equation of the hyperbola
144y2 – 25x2 – 576y – 150x = 3249. Then find the coordinates of the center,
the vertices, the foci, and the equation of the asymptotes. Graph the
hyperbola and the asymptotes.

144(y2 – 4y + ) – 25(x2 + 6x + ) = 3249 + 144() + 25()

144(y2 – 4y + 4) – 25(x2 + 6x + 9) = 3249 + 144(4) + 25(9)
144(y – 2)2 – 25(x + 3)2 = 3600
(y-2)2 _ (x + 3)2
=1
25 144

Center: (-3, 2) a = 5 so the vertices are (-3, 7) and (-3, -3)

a2 + b 2 = c 2
25 + 144 = c2
c = 13
The foci are (-3, 15) and (-3, -11).
 7-5 Example (cont.)
Asymptotes have the formula y = +/- a/b x and we have center (-3, 2) and
slopes +/- 5/12.

y – 2 = 5/12 (x + 3) y – 2 = -5/12 (x + 3)
y – 2 = (5/12) x + 15/12 y – 2 = (-5/12) x + -15/12
y = (5/12) x + 13/4 y = (-5/12) x + 3/4
 7-5 Problems

Find the coordinates of the vertices and the foci. Give the
asymptote slopes for each hyperbola. Then draw the
graph.
1) x2 _ y2 = 1
9 49

2) 25x2 – 4y2 = 100

2) Vertices: (-2, 0) (2, 0) Foci: ( 29, 0) (- 29, 0) Slope = +/- 5/2

2) 1)
Slope = +/- 7/3 1) Vertices: (-3, 0) (3, 0) Foci: (- 58, 0) ( 58, 0)
 7-6 Conic Sections
• Circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas are all formed when a
double cone is sliced by a plane
• The general equation of any conic section is :
Ax2 + Bxy + Cy2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0
• The standard equations for each specific conic section are listed in
previous sections
• If B = 0 and you look at A and C in the equations:
Conic Section Relationship of A and C
Name
Parabola A = 0 or C= 0, but never
both equal to 0
Circle A=C
Ellipse A and C have the same
sign, but A = C
Hyperbola A and C have opposite
signs
 7-6 Example

Identify 9x2 + 16y2 – 54x + 64y + 1 = 0 as one of the four

conic sections. Then graph the conic section.
9x2 + 16y2 – 54x + 64y = -1
9 (x2 – 6x + ) + 16(y2 + 4y + ) = -1 + 9() + 16()
9 (x2 – 6x + 9) + 16(y2 + 4y + 4) = -1 + 9(9) + 16(4)
9(x – 3)2 + 16(y + 2)2 = 144
(x – 3)2 (y + 2)2
+ =1
16 9

This conic section is an ellipse.

 7-6 Problems

Write the equation in standard form and decide if the conic

section is a parabola, a circle, an ellipse, or a
hyperbola. Then graph the equation.

1) x2 + y2 + 6x = 7
2) 5x2 – 6y2 – 30x – 12y + 9 = 0

6 5
=1
hyperbola 2) (x – 3)2 _ (y + 1)2 1) (x + 3)2 + (y)2 = 16 circle 2) 1)
 7-7 Solving Quadratic Systems
• When you solve a system of quadratic equations the
method is almost the same as solving a system of linear
equations
• If the system has one equation of a conic section and
one equation of a straight line, you can get zero, one, or
two solutions to the system
• If both the equations are conic sections, the system
should have zero, one, two, three, or four solutions
 7-7 Example
Solve this system of equations using algebraic methods and by graphing the
equations. y = (x – 2)2 + 1
y = -4x + 5

Set the equations equal to each other to solve for x. The system of equations has one
solution, (0, 5). The graphs of
-4x + 5 = (x – 2)2 + 1 these equations confirms this.
-4x + 5 = x2 – 4x + 4 + 1
-4x + 5 = x2 – 4x + 5
5 = x2 + 5
x2 = 0
x=0

Then put x = 0 back in to solve for

y.
y = -4(0) + 5
y=5
 7-7 Problems

Solve these systems of equations by using algebra and

graphing the equations.

1) 4x2 + y2 = 25 2) x2 + y2 = 10
2x2 – y2 = -1 y = x2 – 4

}
2) Four solutions: { (1, -3) (-1, -3) ( 6, 2) (- 6, -2) 1) Four solutions: { (2, 3) (2, -3) (-2, 3) (-2, -3) }