Introduction To Conic Sections
Introduction To Conic Sections
Introduction to
Conic Sections
H
General Form of a Conic
Equation
We usually see conic equations written in
General, or Implicit Form:
Ax Bxy Cy Dx Ey F 0
2 2
For example: 2x y 8x 0
2 2
x 2x 3y 6y 0
2 2
2x 2y 8x 6 0
2 2
The General Form of the equations can be
Ellipses... converted to Standard Form by
completing the square and dividing so that
the constant = 1.
Ellipses…a special case!
When A & C are the same value as well as the same
sign, the ellipse is the same length in all directions …
it is a ...
Circle!
Hyperbola...
Ax Cy Dx Ey F 0
2 2
x y 6y 5 0
2 2
x 10x 4y 8y 5 0
2 2
The General, or Implicit, Form of the
Hyperbola... equations can be converted to Graphing
Form by completing the square and
dividing so that the constant = 1.
Parabola... A Parabola can be
oriented 2 different ways:
A parabola is vertical if the equation has an x squared term AND a
linear y term; it may or may not have a linear x term & constant:
Ax Dx Ey F 0
2
Cy Dx Ey F 0
2
Parabola …Vertical
The following equations all represent vertical parabolas in
general form; they all have a squared x term and a linear y
term:
x 4x y 7 0
2
4x 8x y 0
2
x y70
2
x y0
2
Parabola …Horizontal
The following equations all represent horizontal parabolas in
general form, they all have a squared y term and a linear x
term:
y 8y 2x 18 0
2
x y 3 0
2
3y 6y x 2 0
2
y x0
2
Parabola …Horizontal
In this example, the signs must be changed at the end so that the x-term is
positive; notice that the negative coefficient of the y squared term makes
the parabola open to the left.
0 x y2 3 Vertex (3,0)
0 y2 x 3
x y2 3
x y2 3
or
(x 3) y 2
What About the term Bxy?
Ax Bxy Cy Dx Ey F 0
2 2
4xy 8 0
or, solved for y:
8 2
y
4x x
What About
If there is athe
Bxyterm Bxy?
term:
Ax Bxy Cy Dx Ey F 0
2 2
You need to find the discriminant and use that to determine the
conic section.
B 4 AC 0
2
The graph is a parabola
B 4 AC 0
2
The graph is a hyperbola
Summary ...
General Form of a Conic Equation:
where A, B, C, D, E and
Ax 2 Bxy Cy 2 Dx Ey F 0 F are integers and A, B
and C are NOT ALL
equal to zero.
1) x 2 4 y 2 2 x 24 y 33 0
2) 4 x 2 4y 2 9 0
3) x 2 4 x y 0
4) x 2 y2 2 x 8 0
5) 9x 2 25y 2 54x 50 y 119 0
6) x 2 x 0
7) y 2 8 y 9x 52 0
8) x 2 2 x y 2 4 y 7 0
Let us Try Again
Identify each of the following equations as a(n):
(a) ellipse (b) circle (c) hyperbola
(d) parabola (e) not a conic
Let us Try Again