CONICS

ABDUL HAMED A. ADIONG

STEM 11-ST.LAWRENCE
CIRCLE
-A circle is a geometrical shape, and is not of
much use in algebra, since the equation of a circle
isn't a function. But you may need to work with
circle equations in your algebra classes

-In "primative" terms, a circle is the shape formed

in the sand by driving a stick (the "center") into
the sand, putting a loop of string around the
center, pulling that loop taut with another stick,
and dragging that second stick through the sand
at the further extent of the loop of string. The
resulting figure drawn in the sand is a circle.
 GENERAL EQUATION OF A
CIRCLE
Can you tell me the
general equation of the u a tion
q
circle and the center- r a l" e
e
radius form of the e " gen
a c ircle y + F 
Th of x + 
E
  D
equation
  +   y2 + 0
2 =
is:x

a d iu s " fo r m o f where the h and the k come from the

Th e "c e n te r - r
:( x  –  h )2  + center point (h, k) and the r2 comes from
th e e q u a ti o n is
(y  –  k )2  =  r 2 the radius value r. If the center is at the
origin, so(h, k) = (0, 0), then the equation
simplifies to x2 + y2 = r2.
 EXAMPLE
1. Find the center and the radius
a) x2 + (y+4)2 = 121
ANS: c(o,-4) r=11
b) (x + 5)2 + (y - 10)2 = 9
ANS= c(-5,10) r=3
2. Find the equation the circle with
a) center(-11, -8) and radius 4
ANS=(x+11)2+(x+8)2=16
b) center (2, -5) and point on circle
(-7, -1)
ANS=(x-2)2+(x+5)2=36
 PARABOLA
To form a parabola according to ancient Greek
definitions, you would start with a line and a
point off to one side. The line is called the
"directrix"; the point is called the "focus". The
parabola is the curve formed from all the
points (x, y) that are equidistant from
the directrix and the focus. The line
perpendicular to the directrix and passing
through the focus (that is, the line that splits the
parabola up the middle) is called the "axis of
symmetry". The point on this axis which is
exactly midway between the focus and the
directrix is the "vertex"; the vertex is the point
where the parabola changes direction.
 GENERAL FORM OF
PARABOLA'S EQUATION
THE "GENERAL" FORM OF A PARABOLA'S UNLESS THE QUADRATIC IS "SIDEWAYS",
EQUATION IS THE ONE YOU'RE USED IN WHICH CASE THE EQUATION WILL
TO, Y = AX2 + BX + C LOOK SOMETHING LIKE X = AY2 + BY + C

THE
N C E IN
RE H
T D IFFE N WHIC LAR
AN SI GU
M P ORT TIONS I FOR RE ART IS
I :
THE O EQUA QUARED , THE X P
TW E IS S S
OLA DEWAYS Y PART
regula
B L A B r: y = a
I A R
VAR ICAL) PA D; FOR S LAS, TH
I E (x –
T E O h)2 + k
(VER SQUAR ) PARAB ED. sidewa
L
NTA S SQUA
R ys: x =
R I Z O I a(y –
(HO k)2 + h
 EXAMPLES
1.State the vertex and focus of the parabola having the
equation (y – 3)2 = 8(x – 5).
2.State the vertex and directrix of the parabola having
the equation (x + 3)2 = –20(y – 1).
3.Find the vertex and focus of y2 + 6y + 12x – 15 = 0
4.Write an equation for the parabola with focus at 
(0, –2) and directrix x = 2.
 SOLUTION
1.Comparing this equation with the conics
form, and remembering that the h always
goes with the x and the k always goes with
the y, I can see that the center is at (h, k) = (5,
3). The coefficient of the unsquared part
is 4p; in this case, that gives me 4p = 8, so p =
2. Since the y part is squared and p is
positive, then this is a sideways parabola
that opens to the right. The focus is inside
the parabola, so it has to be two units to the
right of the vertex:
vertex: (5, 3); focus: (7, 3)
 2.The temptation is to say that the vertex is at 
(3, 1), but that would be wrong. The conics form of
the equation has subtraction inside the
parentheses, so the (x + 3)2 is really (x – (–3))2,
and the vertex is at (–3, 1). The coefficient of
the unsquared part is –20, and this is also the
value of 4p, so p = –5. Since the x part is squared
and p is negative, then this is a regular parabola
that opens downward. This means that the
directrix, being on the outside of the parabola, is
five units above the vertex
vertex: (–3, 1); directrix: y = 6
 3.The y part is squared, so this is a sideways
parabola. I'll get the y stuff by itself on one side of
the equation, and then complete the square to
convert this to conics form.y2 + 6y – 15 = –12xy2 +
6y + 9 – 15 = –12x + 9(y + 3)2 – 15 = –12x + 9(y + 3)2 = –
12x + 9 + 15 = –12x + 24(y + 3)2 = –12(x – 2)(y – (–3))2 =
4(–3)(x – 2)Then the vertex is at (h, k) = (2, –3) and
the value of p is –3. Since y is squared and p is
negative, then this is a sideways parabola that
opens to the left. This puts the focus 3 units to the
left of the vertex.
vertex: (2, –3); focus: (–1, –3)
The vertex is always halfway between the focus and the
directrix, and the parabola always curves away from the
directrix, so I'll do a quick graph showing the focus, the
directrix, and a rough idea of where the parabola will
go: ADVERTISEMENT So the vertex, exactly between
the focus and directrix, must be at (h, k) = (1,–2). The
absolute value of p is the distance between the vertex
and the focus and the distance between the vertex and
the directrix. (The sign on p tells me which way the
parabola faces.) Since the focus and directrix are two
units apart, then this distance has to be one unit, so | p | =
1.Since the focus is to the left of the vertex and directrix,
then the parabola faces left (as I'd shown in my picture)
and I get a negative value for p: p = –1. Since this is a
"sideway" parabola, then the y part gets squared, rather
than the x part. So the conics form of the equation must
be:(y – (–2))2 = 4(–1)(x – 1), or (y + 2)2 = –4(x – 1)
 ELLIPSES
An ellipse, informally, is an oval or a "squished" circle. In
"primitive" geometrical terms, an ellipse is the figure you can
draw in the sand by the following process: Push two sticks
into the sand. Take a piece of string and form a loop that is bi
enough to go around the two sticks and still have some slack
Take a third stick, hook it inside the string loop, pull the loop
taut by pulling the stick away from the first two sticks, and
drag that third stick through the sand at the furthest
distance the loop will allow. The resulting shape drawn in the
sand is an ellipse.
For a wider-than-tall ellipse with
center at (h, k), having
vertices a units to either side of
the center and foci c units to
either side of the center, the
ellipse equation is:  

For a taller-than-wide ellipse

with center at (h, k), having
vertices a units above and below
the center and foci c units above
and below the center, the ellipse
equation is
 EXAMPLE
1.Write an equation for the ellipse having
one focus at (0, 3), a vertex at (0, 4),and its
center at (0, 0).
2.Write an equation for the ellipse with
vertices (4, 0) and (–2, 0)and foci (3,
0) and (–1, 0)
3.Write an equation for the ellipse
centered at the origin, having a vertex
at (0, –5) and containing the point (–2, 4).
4.Write an equation for the ellipse having
foci at (–2, 0) and (2, 0)and eccentricity e =
3/4.
 SOLUTION
1.Since the focus and vertex are above and below
each other, rather than side by side, I know that
this ellipse must be taller than it is wide.
Then a2 will go with the y part of the equation.
Also, since the focus is 3 units above the center,
then c = 3; since the vertex is 4 units above,
then a = 4. The equation b2 = a2 – c2 gives me 16 – 9
= 7 = b2. (Since I wasn't asked for the length of the
minor axis or the location of the co-vertices, I
don't need the value of b itself.) Then my equation
is:
 2.The center is midway between the two foci,
so (h, k) = (1, 0), by the Midpoint Formula. Each
focus is 2 units from the center, so c = 2. The
vertices are 3 units from the center, so a = 3. Also,
the foci and vertices are to the left and right of
each other, so this ellipse is wider than it is tall,
and a2 will go with the x part of the ellipse
equation.
The equation b2 = a2 – c2 gives me 9 – 4 = 5 = b2,
and this is all I need to create my equation:
 3.Since the vertex is 5 units below the center,
then this vertex is taller than it is wide, and
the a2 will go with the y part of the equation.
Also, a = 5, so a2 = 25. I know that b2 = a2 – c2, but I
don't know the values of b or c. However, I do
have the values of h, k, and a, and also a set of
values for x and y, those values being the point
they gave me on the ellipse. So I'll set up the
equation with everything I've got so far, and solve
for b.Advertisement 16b2 + 100 = 25b2100 = 9b2100/9
= b2Then my equation is:
4.The center is between the two foci, so (h, k) = (0,
0). Since the foci are 2 units to either side of the
center, then c = 2, this ellipse is wider than it is
tall, and a2 will go with the x part of the equation.
I know that e = c/a, so 3/4 = 2/a. Solving the
proportion, I get a = 8/3, so a2 = 64/9. The
equation b2 = a2 – c2 gives me 64/9 – 4 = 64/9 – 36/9
= 28/9 = b2.Now that I have values for a2 and b2, I
can create my equation: