Sec 5

Ellipses
 Ellipses
• Salami is often cut obliquely to obtain elliptical
slices, which are larger.
 Ellipses
Basically, an ellipse is a squished circle

(x - h) (y - k)
2 2
Standard Equation:
+ =1
a 2
b 2
(h , k)
a
b
c = a -b
2 2 2

Center: (h,k)
a: major radius, length from center to edge of circle
b: minor radius, length from center to top/bottom of circle
* You must square root the denominator
 Properties of Ellipses
• The ellipse has an important property that is
used in the reflection of light and sound waves.
• Any light or signal that starts at one focus will
be reflected to the other focus.
• The principle is also used
in the construction of
"whispering galleries"
such as in St. Paul's
Cathedral in London.
• If a person whispers near
one focus, he can be
heard at the other focus,
although he cannot be
heard at many places in
between.
Example 3 This must
equal 1

( x + 4) ( y − 5)
2 2
+ =1
25 4
a²
b2

Center: (-4 , 5)
a: 5
b: 2
• Figure shows both the vertical and
horizontal orientations for an ellipse.

Major axis is horizontal. Major axis is vertical.

Example 1 – Finding the Standard
Equation of an Ellipse
• Find the standard form of the equation of the
ellipse having foci at (0, 1) and (4, 1)
and a major axis of length 6, as shown in Figure
Example 1 – Solution
• By the Midpoint Formula, the center of the
ellipse is (2, 1) and the distance from the
center to one of the foci is c = 2.
• Because 2a = 6, you know that a = 3. Now,
from c2 = a2 – b2, you have

• Because the major axis is horizontal, the

standard equation is
 Example 2 – Sketching an Ellipse

• Sketch the ellipse given by

4x2 + y2 = 36
and identify the center and vertices.

• Solution (start by writing the equation in

standard form):
• 4x2 + y2 = 36 Write original equation.

Divide each side by 36.

Write in standard form.

 Example 2 – Solution
• The center of the ellipse is (0, 0).
Because the denominator of the
y2-term is larger than the
denominator of the x2-term, you
can conclude that the major axis
is vertical.
• Moreover, because a = 6 the
vertices are (0, –6) and (0, 6).
Finally, because b = 3, the
endpoints of the minor axis are
• (–3, 0) and (3, 0) as shown in
Figure .
Figure 9.20
Example 3 : find Center, Vertices, Covertices, foci directrices,
𝐿 ⋅ 𝑅, ends of 𝐿 ⋅ 𝑅 Then Sketch.
൫𝑥 − 2 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 + 5 ሻ2
+ =1
16 25
Solution
𝑋 =𝑥−2
𝑌 =𝑦+5
𝑏2 16
𝑒= 1− 2 = 1−
𝑐(0,0ሻ 𝑎 25
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑦−Ellipse 3
∴ + =1 𝑎=5 𝑒=
16 25 5
𝑏=4 ∴ 𝑎𝑒 = 3
𝑎Τ𝑒 = 25Τ3
𝑏 2 16
=
𝑎 5
[1] Find the equation of the ellipse whose focus is (-1,-1) and the
corresponding directrix is x-y+3=0 and e=0.5.
Solution
let 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦ሻ on ellipse e
1 𝑃𝐹
∴𝑒= = ⇒ 𝑃𝐷 = 2 𝑃𝐹
2 𝑃𝐷
∣𝑥−𝑦+3∣
= 2 ቀ𝑥 − −1 ሻ2 + ൫𝑦 − −1 ሻ2
ቀ1 ሻ2 + ൫−1 ሻ2
(𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3ሻ2
= 4 (𝑥 + 1ሻ2 + (𝑦 + 1ሻ2
2
ቀ𝑥 − 𝑦 ሻ2 + 6 𝑥 − 𝑦 + 9 = 8 ቀ𝑥 + 1 ሻ2 + ൫𝑦 + 1 ሻ2
𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 + 6𝑥 − 6𝑦 + 9 = 8 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 1 + 𝑦 2 + 2𝑦 + 1
𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 + 6𝑥 − 6𝑦 + 9 = 8𝑥 2 + 16𝑥 + 8𝑦 2 + 16𝑦 + 16
en. ⇐ 7𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦 + 7𝑦 2 + 10𝑥 + 22𝑦 + 7 = 0
[3] Find the equation of X-ellipse with center at (-1, 3) and the major
axis = 10 and the minor axis = 6.
൫𝑥 + 1 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 − 3 ሻ2
+ =1
25 9

[4] Find the equation of ellipse with, vertices (6, 8) , (6, -2)and the
semi-minor axis = 4.

൫𝑥 − 6 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 + 3 ሻ2
+ =1
25 16
find the center, axes, vertices, foci, directrices,
ends of L.R of ellipse
25𝑥 2 + 16𝑦 2 − 100𝑥 + 96𝑦 − 156 = 0

and sketch the graph.

25𝑥 2 + 16𝑦 2 − 100𝑥 + 96𝑦 − 156 = 0

∴ 25𝑥 2 − 100𝑥 + 16𝑦 2 + 96𝑦 = 156
25 𝑥 2 − 4 + 16 𝑦 2 + 6𝑦 = 156
25 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 4 − 4 + 16 𝑦 2 + 6𝑦 + 9 − 9 = 156
25 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 4 − 25 4 + 16 𝑦 2 + 6𝑦 + 9 − 16 9
25൫𝑥 − 2 ሻ2 − 100 + 16(𝑦 + 3 ሻ2 − 144 = 156
25൫𝑥 − 2 ሻ2 + 16(𝑦 + 3 ሻ2 = 400 ÷ 400
൫𝑥 − 2 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 + 3 ሻ2
+ =1
16 25
 ൫𝑥 − 2 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 + 3 ሻ2
+ =
16 25

Solution
𝑋 =𝑥−2
𝑌 =𝑦+3
𝑏2 16
𝑐= 1− 2 = 1−
𝑐(0,0ሻ 𝑎 25
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑦−Ellipse 3
∴ + =1 𝑎=5 𝑒=
16 25 5
𝑏=4 ∴ 𝑎𝑒 = 3
𝑎Τ𝑒 = 25Τ3
𝑏 2 16
=
9 5
[7] The shown curve is a half of an ellipse its center at the
origin, has a major axis of length 𝐴𝐴′ = 10 𝑐𝑚 and the exact
value of the perimeter (‫ )محيط‬of the triangle 𝐹𝐹′𝐶 is 16 𝑐𝑚.

Find 1) The length of 𝐹𝐹′

2) the area of the triangle 𝐵𝐹𝐹′
3) the equation of the curve

Solution (1) Perimeter = 𝐶𝐹 ′ + 𝐶𝐹 + 𝐹𝐹 ′ = 16

∵ 𝐶𝐹 + 𝐶𝐹 ′ = 2𝑎
∴ 𝐴𝐴′ = 10 = 2𝑎
∴ 𝐶𝐹 + 𝐶𝐹 ′ = 10 →∴ 𝐹𝐹 ′ = 16 − 10 = 6 cm.
 1
△ 𝐵𝐹𝐹 ′ area = ∗ 𝐹𝐹 ∗ 𝐶 ′ 𝐵
2
1
= ∗ 2𝑎𝑒 ∗ 𝑏
2
𝑏2
𝑒 = 1− 2
2𝑎 = 10, 2𝑎𝑒 = 𝐹𝐹 ′ = 6 𝑎
6 6 ⇒ 𝑏2 = 𝑎2 − 𝑒 2 𝑎2
𝑎=5 𝑒= = = 0.6
2𝑎 10 = 25 − ൫0.6 ሻ2 (25ሻ
𝑐(0,0ሻ = 16
𝑥−Ellipse ∴ equation of curve. 𝑏 =4
𝑎=5
𝑏=4
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑥 2
𝑦+ 𝑥2
+ = 1 ⇒ 𝑦 2 = 16 1 − → 𝑦=4 1−
25 16 25 0.5 𝐸𝑄 25
(4) area of Δ𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑐 = 9 cm2
1
∗ base ∗ height = 9 cm2
2
1
∗ 𝐸𝐹 4 ∗ 𝑦 =9
2
3𝑦 = 9 → 𝑦 = 3 cm.

𝑥 2 (3ሻ2
+ =1
25 16
𝑥2 9
=1−
25 16
𝑥 = ±3.3072 cm.
∴ 𝑐(3.3072,3ሻ or (−3.3072,3ሻ
[8] A semi-elliptic archway has a height of 15 feet at the
center and a width of 50 feet, as shown in the figure. The 50-
foot width consists of a two-lane road. Can a truck that is 12
feet high and 14 feet wide drive under the archway without
going into the other lane?
 𝑐(0,0ሻ ∴ equation of curve.
𝑥−Ellipse
𝑎 = 25 ൫𝑥 − 0 ሻ2 ൫𝑦 − 0 ሻ2
+ =1
𝑏 = 15 625 225
(7ሻ2 𝑦2
at 𝑥 = 7 + =1
625 225
49
𝑦= 225 1 − = 14.4
625

∴ at 𝑥 = 7 ∴ truck drive under the archway.