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Conic Sections Notes

This document defines and provides key properties of conic sections including parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas. A parabola is the set of all points equidistant from a fixed line (directrix) and point (focus). An ellipse is the set of points whose sum of distances to two fixed foci is a constant. A hyperbola is the set of points where the difference of distances to two fixed foci is a constant. Each conic section has properties like foci, axes, vertices, and standard equations that describe their shapes. The eccentricity and latus rectum are also defined and provide important information about each type of conic section.

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89 views

Conic Sections Notes

This document defines and provides key properties of conic sections including parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas. A parabola is the set of all points equidistant from a fixed line (directrix) and point (focus). An ellipse is the set of points whose sum of distances to two fixed foci is a constant. A hyperbola is the set of points where the difference of distances to two fixed foci is a constant. Each conic section has properties like foci, axes, vertices, and standard equations that describe their shapes. The eccentricity and latus rectum are also defined and provide important information about each type of conic section.

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bavithaprasanthi27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONIC SECTIONS

PARABOLA
A Parabola is the set of all points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed line and a fixed point (not on the
line) in the plane.

• The fixed line is called the directrix of the parabola.


• The fixed point is called the F is called the focus.
• A line through the focus and perpendicular to the directrix is called the axis of the parabola.
• The point of intersection of parabola with the axis is called the vertex of the parabola.
STANDARD EQUATIONS OF PARABOLA

𝑦 2 = 4ax 𝑦 2 = -4ax

𝑥 2 = 4ay 𝑥 2 = -4ay

LATUS RECTUM
Latus Rectum of a parabola is a line segment perpendicular to the axis of the parabola, through the focus
and whose end points lie on the parabola
Length of latus Rectum = 4a

ELLIPSE
An ellipse is the set of all points in a plane, the sum of whose distances from two fixed points in the plane
is a constant.

• The two fixed points are called the foci.


• The mid point of the line segment joining the foci is called the centre of the ellipse.
• The line segment through the foci of the ellipse is called the major axis and the line segment through
the centre and perpendicular to the major axis is called the minor axis.
• The end points of the major axis are called the vertices of the ellipse.
• The length of the major axis is 2a, the length of the minor axis is 2b and distance between the foci is 2c.
• The length of semi major axis is a and semi minor axis is b.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEMI-MAJOR AXIS, SEMI-MINOR AXIS AND THE DISTANCE OF THE FOCUS
FROM THE CENTRE OF THE ELLIPSE

𝒂𝟐 = 𝒃2 + 𝒄2
SPECIAL CASES OF AN ELLIPSE
1. When c = 0, both foci merge together with the centre of the ellipse and 𝑎2 = 𝑏 2 i.e. a = b, and so the ellipse
becomes circle.
2. When c = a then b = 0.Then ellipse reduces to the line segment 𝐹1 𝐹2 joining the two foci.

ECCENTRICITY
The eccentricity of an ellipse is the ratio of the distances from the centre of the ellipse to one of the foci and to
𝑐
one of the vertices of the ellipse (eccentricity is denoted by e) i.e., e = 𝑎

In the case of an ellipse, value of eccentricity is always less than 1

STANDARD EQUATION OF AN ELLIPSE

𝑥2 𝑦2
+ 𝑏2 = 1
𝑎2
𝑥𝟐 𝑦2
+ =1
𝑏𝟐 𝑎2

LATUS RECTUM
Latus Rectum of an ellipse is a line segment perpendicular to the major axis through any of the foci and whose
end points lie on the ellipse.

2𝑏2
Length of the latus Rectum AB is 𝑎

HYPERBOLA
A hyperbola is the set of all points in a plane, the difference of whose distances from two fixed points in the
plane is constant.
• The two fixed points are called the foci of the hyperbola.
• The mid-point of the line segment joining the foci is called the centre of the hyperbola.
• The line through the foci is called the transverse axis and the line through the centre and perpendicular to
the transverse axis is called the conjugate axis.
• The point at which the hyperbola intersects the transverse axis are called the vertices of the hyperbola.
• The distance between two foci is 2c, the distance between two vertices ( the length of the transverse axis)
is 2a and we define the quantity b as
b = √𝑐 2 − 𝑎2
• The length of the conjugate axis is 2b.

ECCENTRICITY
𝑐
Just like an ellipse, the ratio e = 𝑎 is called the eccentricity of the hyperbola. Since c≥a, the eccentricity is
never less than one. In terms of the eccentricity, the foci are at a distance of ae from the centre.
STANDARD EQUATION OF HYPERBOLA

𝑥2 𝑦2
- =1
𝑎2 𝑏2
𝑦2 𝑥2
- 𝑏2 = 1
𝑎2

LATUS RECTUM
Latus Rectum of hyperbola is the line segment perpendicular to transverse axis through any of the foci and
whose end points lie on hyperbola.

2𝑏2
Length of the latus Rectum is 𝑎

A hyperbola in which a = b is called an equilateral hyperbola

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