Conic Sections: Example 24

Topic

Quadratics

Description

This example shows an ellipse with its center not at the origin. The general equation of an ellipse is ((x-h)²/a²) + ((y-k)²/b²) = 1, where (h,k) is the center and a and b are the lengths of the semi-major and semi-minor axes. In this case, the ellipse is horizontally oriented with its center on the x-axis. The specific equation is ((x-3)²/36) + ((y)²/4) = 1. This example demonstrates how translating the center affects the equation of the ellipse while maintaining its basic shape and orientation. It also shows how the relative sizes of a and b determine whether the ellipse is vertically or horizontally elongated.

For a complete collection of math examples related to Quadratics click on this link: Math Examples: Quadratics Collection.