ANALYTIC GEOMETRY

(Lesson 8)
Math 14
Plane and Analytic Geometry
CONIC SECTIONS
(ELLIPSE)
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the student is expected to be
able to:

• define ellipse
• give the different properties of an ellipse with center
at ( 0,0)
• identify the coordinates of the different properties of
an ellipse with center at ( 0, 0)
• sketch the graph of an ellipse
THE ELLIPSE (e < 1)

An ellipse is the set of all points P in a plane

such that the sum of the distances of P from two fixed
points F’ and F of the plane is constant. The constant
sum is equal to the length of the major axis (2a). Each
of the fixed points is called a focus (plural foci).
 The following terms are important in drawing the graph of an
ellipse:

Eccentricity measure the degree of flatness of an ellipse. The

eccentricity of an ellipse should be less than 1.
Focal chord is any chord of the ellipse passing through the focus.
Major axis is the segment cut by the ellipse on the line containing
the foci a segment joining the vertices of an ellipse
Vertices are the endpoints of the major axis and denoted by 2a.
Latus rectum or latera recta in plural form is the segment cut by the
ellipse passing through the foci and perpendicular to the major axis.
Each of the latus rectum can be determined by:
Properties of an Ellipse:
1.The curve of an ellipse intersects the major-axis at two points
called the vertices. It is usually denoted by V and V’.
2.The length of the segment VV’ is equal to 2a where a is the length
of the semi- major axis.
3.The length of the segment BB’ is equal to 2b where b is the length
of the semi-minor axis.
4.The length of the segment FF’ is equal to 2c where c is the
distance from the center to the foci.
5. The midpoint of the segment VV’ is called the center of an
ellipse denoted by C.
6. The line segments through F1 and F2 perpendicular to the
major – axis are the latera recta and each has a length of 2b2/a.
7. The relationship of a, b and c is given by; a2 = b2 + c2 where,
a > b.
8. c=ae
ELLIPSE WITH CENTER AT ORIGIN C (0, 0)

B’
ELLIPSE WITH CENTER AT ORIGIN C (0, 0)
d1 + d2 = 2a
Considering triangle F’PF
d3 + d4 = 2a
d3 = 2a – d4
Equations of ellipse with center at the origin C (0, 0)
ELLIPSE WITH CENTER AT C (h, k)
 ELLIPSE WITH CENTER AT (h, k)

If the axes of an ellipse are parallel to the coordinate axes

and the center is at (h,k), we can obtain its equation by
applying translation formulas. We draw a new pair of
coordinate axes along the axes of the ellipse. The equation of
the ellipse referred to the new axes is

The substitutions x’ = x – h and y’ = y – k yield

ELLIPSE WITH CENTER AT (h, k)
Examples:

1. Find the equation of the ellipse which satisfies the given

conditions
a. foci at (0, 4) and (0, -4) and a vertex at (0,6)
b. center (0, 0), one vertex (0, -7), one end of minor axis (5, 0)
c. foci (-5, 0), and (5, 0) length of minor axis is 8
d. foci (0, -8), and (0, 8) length of major axis is 34
e. vertices (-5, 0) and (5, 0), length of latus rectum is 8/5
f. center (2, -2), vertex (6, -2), one end of minor axis (2, 0)
g. foci (-4, 2) and (4, 2), major axis 10
h. center (5, 4), major axis 16, minor axis 10 with major axis parallel
to x-axis.
2. Sketch the ellipse 9x2 + 25y2 = 225
3. Find the coordinates of the foci, the end of the major and minor
axes, and the ends of each latus rectum. Sketch the curve.

a. b.

4. Reduce the equations to standard form. Find the coordinates of

the center, the foci, and the ends of the minor and major axes.
Sketch the graph.
a. x2 + 4y2 – 6x –16y – 32 = 0
b. 16x2 + 25y2 – 160x – 200y + 400 = 0
c. 3x2 +2y2 – 24x + 12y + 60 = 0
d. 4x2 + 8y2 + 4x + 24y – 13 = 0
5. The arch of an underpass is a semi-ellipse 6m wide and 2m high.
Find the clearance at the edge of a lane if the edge is 2m from the
middle.
 y

● (2, y) 2 m.

C(0, 0)
x
2 m.

6 m.
x2 y2
2
 2  1  working equation
a b
22 y 2 4 y2  4 y2 
2
 2
 1    1  
   1  36 
3 2 9 4 9 4 
16  9 y 2  36  9y 2  20
20 20
y 
2
 y
9 9
2 5
y m. or 1.49m.
3
6. The earth’s orbit is an ellipse with the sun at one focus. The
length of the major axis is 186,000,000 miles and the
eccentricity is 0.0167. Find the distances from the ends of the
major axis to the sun. These are the greatest and least distances
from the earth to the sun.

Least Distance

C(0, 0) F
●
sun

Greatest Distance
 2a  186,000,000  a  93,000,000 miles
c  ae   93,000,000  0.0167   1 ,553 ,100 miles
To solve for the least distance :
a  c  93 ,000 ,000  1 ,553 ,100  91 ,446 ,900 miles
To solve for the greatest distance :
a  c  93 ,000 ,000  1 ,553 ,100  94 ,553 ,100 miles

7. A hall that is 10 feet wide has a ceiling that is a semi-ellipse. The

ceiling is 10 feet high at the sides and 12 feet high in the center.
Find its equation with the x-axis horizontal and the origin at the
center of the ellipse.
 y

C(0, 0)
x

12 ft.
10 ft.
10 ft.
 x2 y2
2
 2  1  working equation
a b
From the figure :
2a  10  a  5  a 2  25
b  12  10  2  b 2  4
Substituti ng a 2 and b 2 in the working equation :
x2 y2  x2 y2 
  1     1  100 
25 4  25 4 
4 x 2  25 y 2  100
the equation is 4 x 2  25 y 2  100  0
 REFERENCES

Analytic Geometry, 6th Edition, by Douglas F. Riddle

Analytic Geometry, 7th Edition, by Gordon Fuller/Dalton Tarwater
Analytic Geometry, by Quirino and Mijares