College Algebra & Trigonometry 4th EDITION and Precalculus 10TH EDITION

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10.4

Summary of the Conic Sections

Characteristics Identifying Conic Sections Geometric Definition of Conic Sections

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Characteristics
The graphs of parabolas, circles, ellipses, and hyperbolas are called conic sections since each graph can be obtained by cutting a cone with a plane, as suggested by Figure 1 at the beginning of the chapter. All conic sections of the types presented in this chapter have equations of the general form

Ax 2 Cy 2 Dx Ey F 0,
where either A or C must be nonzero.
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Conic Section Parabola Circle

Characteristic Either A = 0, or C = 0, but not both. A=C0

Example x2 y 4 = 0 x + y2 4y = 0 x2 + y2 16 = 0

Ellipse Hyperbola

A C, AC > 0 AC < 0

25x2 + 16y2 400 = 0 x2 y2 1 = 0

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Equation

(x h)2 = 4p(y k) or y k = a(x h)2

Graph
Opens up if p > 0 (or a > 0), down if p < 0 (or a < 0). Vertex is (h, k). Axis of symmetry is x = h. x2 term y is not squared.
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Description

Identification

Equation

(y k)2 = 4p(x h) or x h = a(y k)2

Graph
Opens to the right if p > 0 (or a > 0), to the left if p < 0 (or a < 0). Vertex is (h, k). Axis of symmetry is y = k. y2 term x is not squared.
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Description

Identification

Equation

(x h)2 + (y k)2 = r 2

Graph

Description

Center is (h, k), radius is r.

Identification

x2 and y2 terms have the same positive coefficient.

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Equation

x2 y 2 2 1 (a b ) 2 a b

Graph

Description

x-intercepts are a and a. y-intercepts are b and b. Horizontal major axis, length = 2a. x2 and y2 terms have different positive coefficients.
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Identification

Equation

x2 y 2 2 1 (a b ) 2 b a

Graph

Description

x-intercepts are b and b. y-intercepts are a and a. Vertical major axis, length = 2a. x2 and y2 terms have different positive coefficients.
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Identification

Equation

x2 y 2 2 1 2 a b

Graph

Description

x-intercepts are a and a. Asymptotes are found from (a, b), (a, b),( a, b), and ( a, b). x2 term has a positive coefficient. y2 term has a negative coefficient.
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Identification

Equation

y 2 x2 2 1 2 a b

Graph

Description

y-intercepts are a and a. Asymptotes are found from (b, a), (b, a),( b, a), and ( b, a). y2 term has a positive coefficient. x2 term has a negative coefficient.
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Identification

Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

Determine the type of conic section represented by each equation, and graph it.

a. x 2 25 5 y 2 Solution
Divide each term by 25.

x 5 y 25
2 2

Subtract 5y2.

x2 y 2 1 25 5

Divide by 25.

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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

Determine the type of conic section represented by each equation, and graph it.

a. x 2 25 5 y 2 Solution
The equation represents a hyperbola centered at the origin, with asymptotes

x2 y 2 0, or 25 5

5 y x. 5

Remember both the positive and negative square roots.

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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

Determine the type of conic section represented by each equation, and graph it.

a. x 2 25 5 y 2 Solution
The x-intercepts are 5; the graph is shown here.

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Example 1
2 2

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

b. x 8 x y 10 y 41 Solution
2

x 2 8 x y 2 10 y 41
2

( x 8 x 16 16) ( y 10y 25 25) 41

Complete the square on both x and y.

( x 2 8 x 16) 16 ( y 2 10 y 25) 25 41
Regroup terms.

( x 4) ( y 5) 41 16 25
2 2

Factor; add 16 and 25.

( x 4)2 ( y 5)2 0
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Example 1
2 2

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

b. x 8 x y 10 y 41 Solution
The resulting equation is that of a circle with radius 0; that is, the point (4, 5). If we had obtained a negative number on the right (instead of 0), the equation would have no solution at all, and there would be no graph.
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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 2 4 x 16 x 9 y 54 y 61 c.

Solution The coefficients of the x2 -and y2 -terms are unequal and both positive, so the equation might represent an ellipse but not a circle. (It might also represent a single point or no points at all.)

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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 2 4 x 16 x 9 y 54 y 61 c.

Solution 2 4( x 4 x
2

) 9( y 6 y
2

) 61

Factor out 4; factor out 9.

4( x 4 x 4 4) 9( y 6 y 9 9) 61
2

Complete the square.

4( x 4 x 4) 16 9( y 6 y 9) 81 61
2 2

Multiply. 4( 4) = 16

Distributive property.
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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 2 4 x 16 x 9 y 54 y 61 c.

Solution
4( x 2) 9( y 3) 36
2 2

Factor; add 97.

( x 2) ( y 3) 1 9 4
2 2

Divide by 36.

This equation represents an ellipse having center (2, 3) and graph as shown here.
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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 x d. 6 x 8 y 7 0

Solution Since only one variable is squared (x, and not y), the equation represents a parabola. Get the term with y (the variable that is not squared) alone on one side.

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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 x d. 6 x 8 y 7 0

Solution
8y x 6 x 7
2

Isolate the y-term.

8 y ( x 2 6 x
2

)7

Regroup terms: factor out 1.

8 y ( x 6 x 9 9) 7
Complete the square.

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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 x d. 6 x 8 y 7 0

Solution
8 y ( x 6 x 9) 9 7
2

Distributive property; ( 9) = + 9

8 y ( x 3) 16
2

Factor; add.

1 2 y ( x 3) 2 8 1 y 2 ( x 3)2 8

Multiply by .

Subtract 2.
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Example 1

DETERMINING TYPES OF CONIC SECTIONS FROM EQUATIONS

2 x d. 6 x 8 y 7 0

Solution
The parabola has vertex (3, 2) and opens down, as shown in the graph here. An equivalent form for this parabola is

( x 3) 8( y 2).
2

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Example 2

DETERMINING THE TYPE OF CONIC SECTION FROM ITS EQUATION

Identify the graph of 4 y 2 16 y 9 x 2 18 x 43.

Solution
4( y 4 y
2

) 9( x 2 x
2

) 43

Factor out 4; factor out 9.

4( y 2 4 y 4 4) 9( x 2 2 x 1 1) 43
Complete the square.

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Example 2

DETERMINING THE TYPEOF CONIC SECTION FROM ITS EQUATION

Identify the graph of 4 y 2 16 y 9 x 2 18 x 43.

Solution 2 2 4( y 4 y 4) 16 9( x 2 x 1) 9 43
Distributive property.

4( y 2)2 9( x 1)2 36

Factor; add 16 and subtract 9.

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Example 2

DETERMINING THE TYPEOF CONIC SECTION FROM ITS EQUATION

Identify the graph of 4 y 2 16 y 9 x 2 18 x 43.

Solution
4( y 2)2 9( x 1)2 36
Because of the 36, we might think that this equation does not have a graph. However, the minus sign in the middle on the left shows that the graph is that of a hyperbola.

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Example 2

DETERMINING THE TYPEOF CONIC SECTION FROM ITS EQUATION

Identify the graph of 4 y 2 16 y 9 x 2 18 x 43.

Solution 2 2 ( x 1) ( y 2) 1 4 9
Divide by 36; rearrange terms.

Be careful here.

This hyperbola has center (1, 2). The graph is shown here.
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Geometric Definition of Conic Sections

In Section 6.1, a parabola was defined as the set of points in a plane equidistant from a fixed point (focus) and a fixed line (directrix). A parabola has eccentricity 1. This definition can be generalized to apply to the ellipse and the hyperbola.

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Geometric Definition of Conic Sections

This figure shows an ellipse with a = 4, c = 2, and e = . The line x = 8 is shown also. For any point P on the ellipse,
1 [distance of P from the focus] [distance of P from the line]. 2
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Geometric Definition of Conic Sections

This figure shows a hyperbola with a = 2, c = 4, and e = 2, along with the line x = 1. For any point P on the hyperbola.
[distance of P from the focus] 2[distance of P from the line].

The following geometric definition applies to all conic sections except circles, which have e = 0.
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Geometric Definition of a Conic Section

Given a fixed point F (focus), a fixed line L (directrix), and a positive number e, the set of all points P in the plane such that
[distance of P from F ] e [distance of P from L]

is a conic section of eccentricity e. The conic section is a parabola when e = 1, an ellipse when 0 < e < 1, and a hyperbola when e > 1.
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