ELLPSE

An ellipse is the locus of a point that moves in a plane so that the sum of its distances from two
fixed points is constant. Its eccentricity is less than one.

a/e
B1(0, b)

L2(c, b2/a)
L1(c, b2/a)  
 P(x, y)

V1(a, 0) F1(c, 0) F2(c, 0) V2(a, 0)

     x
C(h, k)

 
R1(c, b2/a) R2(c, b2/a)

B2(0, b)
D1 D2
Graph of an Ellipse

Parts and Properties of an Ellipse

1. The two fixed points F1 and F2 are called the foci (plural of focus).
2. The point midway between F1 and F2 is the center of the ellipse.
3. The axis of symmetry passing through the foci is called the principal axis of the ellipse.
4. The line segment through the foci and joining two points of the ellipse is called the major
axis. The major axis lies on the principal axis.
5. The line segment through the center and perpendicular to the major axis is the minor axis.
The endpoints of the minor axis are points of the ellipse.
6. The graph of an ellipse is symmetric with respect to both its major and minor axes.
7. The intersection of the ellipse with the major axis determines the two points V1 and V2 which
are called the vertices.
8. The endpoints (B1 and B2) of the minor axis are called the co-vertices of an ellipse.
9. The line segments through the foci perpendicular to the major axis and joining two points of
the ellipse are called latera recta (plural of latus rectum).
10. The fixed lines (D1 and D2) referred to in the definition of an ellipse and parallel to the latera
recta are called the directrices (plural of directrix).
11. The length of the major axis is always greater than the length of the minor axis.
Lengths and Distances Involved in an Ellipse

1. a = distance from center to an end of major axis (length of semi-major axis)

2. b = distance from center to an end of minor axis (length of semi-minor axis)
3. c  ae  a2  b2 = distance from center to focus
4. 2a = length of major axis (constant sum in the definition of ellipse)
5. 2b = length of minor axis (minor axis < major axis)
6. 2c = distance between foci
2b 2
7. = length of each latus rectum
a
b2
8. = distance from focus to an end of a latus rectum
a
a a2
9.  = distance from center to directrix
e c
a 2  b2
10. e  = eccentricity of the ellipse, e<1
a
11. a > b and a > c

Equations and Graphs of Ellipses

This ellipse has vertices at (–a, 0) and (a, 0), co-vertices at (0, b) and (0, –b), foci at (–c, 0) and (c, 0),
and a moving point P(x, y). From the definition of an ellipse,

PF1  PF2  2a

( x  c)2  ( y  0)2  ( x  c)2  ( y  0)2  2a

( x  c)2  y2  2a  ( x  c)2  y2

x 2  2cx  c 2  y 2  4a 2  4a ( x  c)2  y 2  x 2  2cx  c 2  y 2

cx  a2  a ( x  c)2  y2
c2x 2  2a2cx  a4  a2(x 2  2cx  c2  y2 )
a2(a2  c2 )  (a2  c2 )x 2  a2 y2
x2 y2 2 2 2
 1, b  a  c
a2 a 2  c2
x2 y2
 1
a2 b2
Standard Forms of Ellipses

The standard equation of an ellipse

I. with center at C(0, 0) and
A. major axis on OX B. major axis on OY

x2 y2 y2 x2
  1, a > b   1, a > b
2
a 2
b 2
a b2

II. with center at C(h, k)

A. (major axis is on or parallel to OX)

( x  h) 2 ( y  k) 2
  1, a > b
a2 b2

B. (major axis is on or parallel to OY)

( y  k) 2 ( x  h) 2
  1 , a >b
a2 b2

Equations of Directrices of an Ellipse

The equations of directrices of an ellipse

A. with horizontal major axis are B. with vertical major axis are
a a2 2
y  k  ac .
x  h e
or x h c
. y  k a
e
or

General Equation of an Ellipse

The general equation of an ellipse takes the form

Ax2  Cy2  Dx  Ey  F  0
where A and C have the same sign (AC > 0).
Sample Problems
I. Find the center, foci, vertices, endpoints of minor axis(co-vertices), and endpoints of latera recta.
Determine the equations of directrices and draw the ellipse.

𝑥2 𝑦2 (𝑥−1)2 (𝑦+2)2
1. + =1 2. + =1
16 9 4 16

3. 16𝑥 2 + 25𝑦 2 + 32𝑥 − 384 = 0 4. 9𝑥 2 + 4𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 − 8𝑦 − 131 =

II. Find the equation of the ellipse satisfying the given conditions.
1. center(0,0), major axis 8, horizontal minor axis 6
2. center(0,0), minor axis 6, focus(-3,0)
3. center(0,0), eccentricity 2/3, distance between directrices 9√2, major axis vertical
4. center (2,0), focus(2,6), eccentricity 2/3
5. center(1,-2), one end of minor axis (1,0), vertex(5,-2)
6. minor axis 4, distance between foci 10, center (3,4), major axis parallel to x-axis