STEM111 – Precalculus

READING MATERIAL
Topic 1
1st Semester, SY 2023-2024

1 | INTRODUCTION TO CONIC SECTION

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
The learners can:
a. illustrate the different types of conic sections: Circle, Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola, and
Degenerate Cases; and
b. recognize the equation and important characteristics of the different types of conic sections.

A conic section is a curve obtained by intersecting a cone with a plane.

This intersection of a plane and a double-napped cone forms the four (4) basic conic sections: Circle, Ellipse, Parabola,
and Hyperbola.

Figure 1: Double-Napped Cone Figure 2: Archimedes Model

Source: http://questionpaper.org/mensuration/ Source: https://old.nationalcurvebank.org/circle/conics2.jpg

• A circle is generated when the plane is perpendicular to the axis of the cone. This is also classified as a special
type of ellipse.
• An ellipse is generated when the plane is tilted so it intersects each generator, but only intersects one nappe.
• A parabola is generated when the plane is tilted so it is parallel to one generator and only intersects one nappe.
• A hyperbola is generated when the plane intersects both nappes.

If you wish to visualize how it works, you may check the video by the Khan Academy. Here’s
the link: https://youtu.be/0A7RR0oy2ho.

There will be instances that the intersection of a plane and a cone becomes degenerate conics. A degenerate conic
can be a single line, a pair of intersecting lines, a point, a pair of parallel lines, or no graph at all. The picture below shows
some of these degenerate conic sections.

Figure 3: Degenerate Conics

Source: https://www.cuemath.com/jee/introduction-parabolas/

• A point is formed if the plane passes through only the vertex.

• A straight line is formed if the plane is tangent to the double-napped cone’s surface.
• A pair of intersecting lines is formed if the plane passes through the vertex and intersects both the top and the
bottom halves of the double-napped cone.

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STEM111 – Precalculus
READING MATERIAL
Topic 1
1st Semester, SY 2023-2024

Aside from graphical representation, a conic section can also be represented through a second-degree equation. Any
second-degree equation can be written in general form as
𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙𝒚 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎
where 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶, 𝐷, 𝐸, 𝐹 are any real number (in symbol ℝ).

In the given equation above, if 𝐵 = 0, we will have 𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎. The graph of this equation can either
be a conic or a degenerate conic provided that 𝐴 and 𝐶 are not both zero.

Note:
When we say 𝐴 and 𝐶 are not both zero, it’s either:
a. 𝐴 = 0 and 𝐶 ≠ 0;
b. 𝐴 ≠ 0 and 𝐶 = 0; or
c. 𝐴 ≠ 0 and 𝐶 ≠ 0.

If it is a conic, then the graph is:

CONIC SECTION VALUE OF 𝑨 AND 𝑪 PRODUCT OF 𝑨 AND 𝑪

Parabola 𝐴 = 0 or 𝐶 = 0 𝐴𝐶 = 0
Ellipse 𝐴 and 𝐶 have the same signs
𝐴𝐶 > 0
Circle 𝐴=𝐶
Hyperbola 𝐴 and 𝐶 have opposite signs 𝐴𝐶 < 0

If 𝐵 ≠ 0, we can make use of the discriminant of the quadratic formula to identify the represented conic section of the
given second-degree equation.

CONIC SECTION DISCRIMINANT

Parabola 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = 0
Ellipse 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 < 0
Hyperbola 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 > 0

Problem 1:
Determine the conic section represented by the equation 4𝑥 " + 7𝑦 " − 13𝑥 + 4𝑦 − 16 = 0.

Solution:
Given: 𝐴 = 4, 𝐵 = 0, 𝐶 = 7

Since 𝐵 = 0, we will simply use the value of 𝐴 and 𝐶. Note that 𝐴 and 𝐶 are both positive, hence they have the
same sign. Also, 𝐴𝐶 = (4)(7) = 28. Therefore, the equation represents an ELLIPSE since 𝐴𝐶 > 0.

Answer: Ellipse

Problem 2:
Determine the conic section represented by the equation 36𝑥 " − 8𝑥𝑦 − 9𝑦 " + 12𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 40 = 0.

Solution:
Given: 𝐴 = 36, 𝐵 = −8, 𝐶 = −9

Since 𝐵 ≠ 0, it is best to use the concept of discriminant.

𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = (−8)" − 4(36)(−9)
𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = 64 − 4(36)(−9)
𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = 1360

Note that 1360 > 0, so 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 > 0. Therefore, the given equation represents a HYPERBOLA.

Answer: Hyperbola

You are not required to use both methods to identify the kind of conic section being represented by an equation. You
need to choose which method works best.

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STEM111 – Precalculus
READING MATERIAL
Topic 1
1st Semester, SY 2023-2024

There are also instances that the methods above would give us a false answer. The equation would look like a conic
section but would be a degenerate conic.

Problem 3:
Determine the conic section represented by the equation 𝑥 " − 6𝑥𝑦 + 9𝑦 " + 5𝑥 − 15𝑦 + 4 = 0.

Solution:
Given: 𝐴 = 1, 𝐵 = −6, 𝐶 = 9

Using the discriminant, 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = (−6)" − 4(1)(9) = 0. So, since 𝐵" − 4𝐴𝐶 = 0, one will conclude that the
equation represents a PARABOLA. However, looking at the values of 𝐴 and 𝐶, both are non-zero which
violates the property that 𝐴 = 0 or 𝐶 = 0.

Manipulating the equation will give us the quadratic equation,

𝑥 " + (5 − 6𝑦)𝑥 + (9𝑦 " − 15𝑦 + 4) = 0.

Using the quadratic formula, we will have,

−(5 − 6𝑦) ± G(5 − 6𝑦)" − 4(1)(9𝑦 " − 15𝑦 + 4)
𝑥=
2(1)
(6𝑦 − 5) ± G(25 − 60𝑦 + 36𝑦 " ) − (36𝑦 " − 60𝑦 + 16)
𝑥=
2
(6𝑦 − 5) ± √9
𝑥=
2
(6𝑦 − 5) ± 3
𝑥=
2

This will result to two equations, 𝑥 − 3𝑦 = −1 and 𝑥 − 3𝑦 = −4, which represents a pair of PARALLEL LINES.

Answer: A degenerate conic, specifically a pair of parallel lines.

We can also make use of the concept of eccentricity, 𝒆, in classifying conic sections. The eccentricity is a parameter
associated with every conic section describing how much it deviates from being circular. This is computed by dividing
the distance from any point on the conic section to its focus with the perpendicular distance from that point to the
nearest directrix. We will be defining the terms focus and directrix in the next materials.

CONIC SECTION ECCENTRICITY

Circle 𝑒=0
Parabola 𝑒=1
Ellipse 𝑒<1
Hyperbola 𝑒>1

In the next reading materials, we will investigate each conic section, starting with circle.

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