Conic Sections

Conic sections are lines

that define where a flat
plane intersects with a
double cone, which
consists of two cones
that meet at one
another’s tip.
Circle
Circle
• The Standard Form of a circle with a center at
(0,0) and a radius, r, is……..
2 2 2
x  y r

center (0,0)
radius = 2
Circles
• The Standard Form of a circle with a center
at (h,k) and a radius, r, is……..

2 2 2
( x  h)  ( y  k ) r

center (3,3)
radius = 2
Parabolas
What’s in a Parabola
• A parabola is the set of all points in a plane
such that each point in the set is
equidistant from a line called the directrix
and a fixed point called the focus.
Why is the focus so important?
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
to the right and has a vertex at (0,0) is……
2
y 4 px
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens to the right and has a
vertex at (0,0) has the following
characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the

parabola to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (p,0)
• This makes the equation of the directrix x = -p
• The makes the axis of symmetry the x-axis (y =
0)
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
to the left and has a vertex at (0,0) is……
2
y  4 px
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens to the left and has a
vertex at (0,0) has the following
characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the

parabola to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus(-p,0)
• This makes the equation of the directrix x = p
• The makes the axis of symmetry the x-axis (y =
0)
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
up and has a vertex at (0,0) is……

2
x 4 py
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens up and has a vertex
at (0,0) has the following characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the

parabola to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (0,p)
• This makes the equation of the directrix y =
-p
• This makes the axis of symmetry the y-axis
(x = 0)
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
down and has a vertex at (0,0) is……
2
x  4 py
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens down and has a vertex at
(0,0) has the following characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola

to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (0,-p)
• This makes the equation of the directrix y = p
• This makes the axis of symmetry the y-axis (x = 0)
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
to the right and has a vertex at (h,k) is……
2
( y  k ) 4 p ( x  h)
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens to the right and has a
vertex at (h,k) has the following
characteristics……..

• p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola

to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (h+p, k)
• This makes the equation of the directrix x = h –
p
• This makes the axis of symmetryb
y
2a
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
to the left and has a vertex at (h,k) is……

2
( y  k )  4 p ( x  h)
 Parabola
• The Parabola that opens to the left and has a
vertex at (h,k) has the following characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to

the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (h – p, k)
• This makes the equation of the directrix x = h + p
• The makes the axis of symmetry

b
y
2a
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens
up and has a vertex at (h,k) is……
2
( x  h) 4 p ( y  k )
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens up and has a vertex at
(h,k) has the following characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola

to the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (h , k + p)
• This makes the equation of the directrix y = k – p

• The makes the axis of symmetry b

x
2a
Parabola
• The Standard Form of a Parabola that opens down
and has a vertex at (h,k) is……

2
( x  h)  4 p ( y  k )
Parabola
• The Parabola that opens down and has a vertex at
(h,k) has the following characteristics……

• p is the distance from the vertex of the parabola to

the focus or directrix
• This makes the coordinates of the focus (h , k - p)
• This makes the equation of the directrix y = k + p

 b
x
• This makes the axis of symmetry
2a
Ellipse

•Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capital building is elliptic. It was in this room that John
Quincy Adams, while a member of the House of Representatives, discovered
this acoustical phenomenon. He situated his desk at a focal point of the elliptical
ceiling, easily eavesdropping on the private conversations of other House
members located near the other focal point.
What is in an Ellipse?
• The set of all points in the plane, the sum of
whose distances from two fixed points,
called the foci, is a constant. (“Foci” is the
plural of “focus”)
Why are the foci of the ellipse
important?
• The ellipse has an important property that is used
in the reflection of light and sound waves. Any
light or signal that starts at one focus will be
reflected to the other focus. This principle is used
in lithotripsy, a medical procedure for treating
kidney stones. The patient is placed in a elliptical
tank of water, with the kidney stone at one focus.
High-energy shock waves generated at the other
focus are concentrated on the stone, pulverizing it.
Why are the foci of the ellipse
important?
• St. Paul's Cathedral in London. If a person
whispers near one focus, he can be heard at
the other focus, although he cannot be heard
at many places in between.
Ellipse
• General Rules
• x and y are both squared
• Equation always equals(=) 1
• Equation is always plus(+)
• a2 is always the biggest denominator
• c 2 = a2 – b 2
• c is the distance from the center to each foci on the
major axis
• The center is in the middle of the 2 vertices, the 2
covertices, and the 2 foci.
Ellipse
• General Rules
• a is the distance from the center to each vertex on the
major axis
• b is the distance from the center to each vertex on the
minor axis (co-vertices)
• Major axis has a length of 2a
• Minor axis has a length of 2b
• Eccentricity(e): e = c/a (The closer e gets to 1, the
closer it is to being circular)
Ellipse
• The standard form of the ellipse with a
center at (0,0) and a horizontal axis is……

2 2
x y
2
 2
1
a b
Ellipse
• The ellipse with a center at (0,0) and a horizontal
axis has the following characteristics……

• Vertices (
 a,0)
x2 y2
• Co-Vertices (0, b)
 1
16 9
• Foci (  c,0)
Ellipse
• The standard form of the ellipse with a
center at (0,0) and a vertical axis is……

2 2
x y
2
 2
1
b a
Ellipse
• The ellipse with a center at (0,0) and a
vertical axis has the following
characteristics……

 x2 y2
• Vertices (0, a)  1
 9 81
• Co-Vertices ( b,0)

• Foci (0, c)
Ellipse
• The standard form of the ellipse with a
center at (h,k) and a horizontal axis is……

2 2
( x  h) ( y  k )
2
 2
1
a b
Ellipse
• The ellipse with a center at (h,k) and a
horizontal axis has the following
characteristics……


• Vertices (h a ,k)
• Co-Vertices
 (h, k b)
• Foci (h c , k)
Ellipse
• The standard form of the ellipse with a
center at (h,k) and a vertical axis is……

2 2
( x  h) ( y  k )
2
 2
1
b a
Ellipse
• The ellipse with a center at (h,k) and a
vertical axis has the following
characteristics……


• Vertices (h, k a)
• Co-Vertices
 (h b , k)
• Foci (h, k c)
 Hyperbola

huge chimney of a nuclear power plant has the shape of a hyperboloid, as does
architecture of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium of the St. Louis Science Cen
What is a Hyperbola?
• The set of all points in the plane, the
difference of whose distances from
two fixed points, called the foci,
remains constant.
Where are the Hyperbolas?
• A sonic boom shock wave has
the shape of a cone, and it
intersects the ground in part of
a hyperbola. It hits every point
on this curve at the same time,
so that people in different
places along the curve on the
ground hear it at the same
time. Because the airplane is
moving forward, the hyperbolic
curve moves forward and
eventually the boom can be
heard by everyone in its path.
Hyperbola
• General Rules
• x and y are both squared
• Equation always equals(=) 1
• Equation is always minus(-)
• a2 is always the first denominator
• c 2 = a2 + b 2
• c is the distance from the center to each foci on the
major axis
• a is the distance from the center to each vertex on the
major axis
Hyperbola
• General Rules
• b is the distance from the center to each midpoint of
the rectangle used to draw the asymptotes. This
distance runs perpendicular to the distance (a).
• Major axis has a length of 2a
• Eccentricity(e): e = c/a (The closer e gets to 1, the
closer it is to being circular
• If x2 is first then the hyperbola is horizontal
• If y2 is first then the hyperbola is vertical.
Hyperbola
• General Rules
• The center is in the middle of the 2 vertices
and the 2 foci.
• The vertices and the covertices are used to
draw the rectangles that form the
asymptotes.
• The vertices and the covertices are the
midpoints of the rectangle
• The covertices are not labeled on the
hyperbola because they are not actually
part of the graph
Hyperbola
• The standard form of the Hyperbola with a
center at (0,0) and a horizontal axis is……

2 2
x y
2
 2
1
a b
Hyperbola

• The Hyperbola with a center at (0,0) and a

horizontal axis has the following
characteristics……

• Vertices( a,0)
• Foci ( c,0) b
y  x
a
• Asymptotes:
Hyperbola
• The standard form of the Hyperbola with a
center at (0,0) and a vertical axis is……

2 2
y x
2
 2
1
a b
Hyperbola
• The Hyperbola with a center at (0,0) and a
vertical axis has the following
characteristics……


• Vertices (0, a)
• Foci ( 0, c)
a
y  x
• Asymptotes: b
Hyperbola
• The standard form of the Hyperbola with a
center at (h,k) and a horizontal axis is……

2 2
( x  h) ( y  k )
2
 2
1
a b
Hyperbola
• The Hyperbola with a center at (h,k) and a
horizontal axis has the following
characteristics……

• Vertices (h a, k)
• Foci (h c, k )

• Asymptotes:
b
y k  ( x  h)
a
Hyperbola
• The standard form of the Hyperbola with a
center at (h,k) and a vertical axis is……

2 2
( y  k ) ( x  h)
2
 2
1
a b
Hyperbola
• The Hyperbola with a center at (h,k) and a
vertical axis has the following
characteristics……

• Vertices (h, k a)
• Foci (h, k c)
a
y k  ( x  h)
• Asymptotes:
b