Pre-Calculus
INTRODUCTION TO CONIC SECTIONS
● Conic sections are obtained from
the intersection between
double-napped cone and a plane.
Parabolas
● Parabolas are formed when the
plane is parallel to the generating
line of one cone.
Ellipses
● Ellipses are formed when the plane
intersects the one cone at an angle
other than 90°.
Hyperbolas
● Hyperbolas are formed when the
plane is parallel to the axis of
revolution or the 𝑦-axis.
Circles
● Circles are formed when the
intersection of the plane is
perpendicular to the axis of
revolution.
● must be parallel to the base
COMMON PARTS OF THE CONIC
SECTIONS
Vertex
● an extreme point on a parabola,
hyperbola, and ellipse.
Focus and Directrix
● the point and the line on a conic
section are used to define and
construct the curve, respectively.
Center
● It is the midpoint between the two
foci of an ellipse and hyperbola.
● For circles, the center is the point
equidistant from any point on the
surface.
THE STANDARD EQUATION OF THE
CIRCLE
● with center at origin (0,0) and
radius r>0 is x2 + y2 = r2
● with center at c(h,k) and radius r>0
is (x-h)2 + (y-k)2 = r2
2
● h & k = opposite signs, r2 = 𝑟
● r2 = 0 - no circle just point
a
● r2 < 0 - no circle since there is no
negative distance
THE GENERAL EQUATION OF THE CIRCLE
Ax2 + By2 + Cx + Dy + E = 0
where: A, B, C, D, and E are real numbers
and A=B and are not equal to zero.
Step 1: regroup the given
Step 2: complete terms
Step 3: simplify
e.g.
x2 + y2 - 6x - 8y + 7 = 0 (GE)
regroup:
(x2 - 6x) + (y2 - 8y) = -7
complete terms:
(x2 - 6 + 9) + (y2 - 8y + 16) = -7 + 9 + 16
! divide by two and square 2nd term to get third term.
simplify:
(x - 3)2 + (y - 4)2 = 18
c = (3,4)
r=3 2
PARABOLA
● is a locus of points which are
equidistant from a fixed point
F(called focus) and fixed line
D(called directrix)
PARTS OF A PARABOLA
Focus
● Fixed point of parabola.
Directrix
● Fixed line of parabola
Vertex (h,k)
● Point of intersection of the axis of
symmetry and the parabola.
Axis of Symmetry
● Line x=h; goes through the focus
Latus Rectum
● Is the chord through focus parallel
to the directrix
GENERAL EQUATION OF PARABOLA
Ax2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0 / By2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0