ELLIPSE REPORT
KHALIL ROSE | BUILDING DRAWING | FEBUARY 14 2025
What is a ellipse?
An ellipse is a two-dimensional shape formed when a cone is intersected
by a plane at an angle with respect to its base. It has two focal points, and
the sum of the two distances to the focal points is always constant for all
points on the curve.
What are the characteristics of an ellipse?
There are various different characteristics of an ellipse, some of these are:
The ellipse has two focal points, called the foci.
The eccentricity of the ellipse is between [0,1].
The total sum of each distance from a point on the ellipse to the two foci
is constant.
Ellipses have a major axis and a minor axis.
The intersection of the major axis and the minor axis is the center of the
ellipse.
A circle is a special case of an ellipse, which has both foci in the center.
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What are the parts of an ellipse?
There are various different parts of an ellipse, they are:
Focus: Has 2 foci. The foci (singular: focus) always lie on the major axis.
Center: The midpoint between the 2 foci. The major and minor axes intersect
at this point at 90°.
Major axis: It is the distance between the end vertices. Center divides the
major axis into 2 equal halves. Each half is called semi-major axis or major
radius, represented by ‘a’.
Minor axis: It is the distance between the end co-vertices. Center divides the
minor axis into 2 equal halves. Each half is called semi-minor axis or minor
radius, represented by ‘b’.
Vertex: It is the point where the ellipse intersects the major axis. In other
words, the 2 extreme points that form the major axis are the vertices.
Co-vertex: It is the point where the ellipse intersects the minor axis. In other
words, the 2 extreme points that form the minor axis are the co-vertices.
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What are the construction for the ellipse?
These are 4 different methods for drawing ellipses, these are:
Rectangular method:
Draw a rectangle taking major and minor axes as sides or as per the
question.
Select the upper left part of the rectangle. Divide the vertical small
side and the horizontal long side into the same number of equal parts.
(here divided into five parts.) (Don't know how to divide a line into
equal parts? to know, click here.)
Name the points as given in the figure.
Connect all vertical points 1,2,3,4 to the upper end of the minor
axis(point C). Repeat same for the point D.
Extend line C1 up to D4 and mark the point. Similarly extend C2, C3,
and C4 lines up to D2, D3, and D4 lines and mark all the points.
Connect all the marked points.
Repeat the same method for the other parts of the rectangle.
The auxiliary circle method:
Place your drawing table in the right comfortable place make sure you
with all your drawing instruments.
Decide what length the major axis will be.
Draw one horizontal line of major axis length.
Mark the mid-point with a ruler.
Create a circle of this diameter with a compass.
Decide what length the minor axis will be.
Draw another line bisecting the major axis (which will be the minor
axis) using a protractor at 90 degrees.
Here, you take the protractor and set its origin on the mid-point of the
major axis. Mark the point at 90 degrees. Then swing the protractor
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180 degrees and mark that point. Now you can draw the minor axis at
its midpoint between or within the two marks.
Create a circle of this diameter with a compass.
Do it the same way the previous circle was made.
Divide the entire circle into twelve 30 degree parts using a compass.
This is done by setting your protractor on the major axis on the origin and
marking the 30 degree intervals with dots. Then you can connect the dots
through the center with lines.
Draw horizontal lines from the inner circle (except on major and minor
axis).
These will be parallel to the major axis, and go outward from all the points
where the inner circle and 30 degree lines intersect. Try to draw the lines
near the minor axis a little shorter, but draw them a little longer as you move
toward the major axis.
Draw vertical lines from the outer circle (except on major and minor axis).
These will be parallel to the minor axis, and go inward from all the points
where the outer circle and 30 degree lines intersect. Try to draw the lines
near the minor axis a little longer, but draw them a little shorter as you move
toward the major axis. If you detect a horizontal line will be too short you
can take a ruler and extend it a little before drawing the vertical line.
Darken all intersecting points including the two ends on the major
(horizontal) and minor (vertical) axis.
Join the points using free-hand drawing or a French curve tool (more
accurate).
With free hand drawing, you do your best to draw the curves by hand
between the points.
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