ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

CHAP 5 (iii) - ELLIPSE

Definition

Ellipse is the locus of a point moving with the ratio of the distance to a fixed point
and from a fixed line and less than one setting.

K
y
Vertex (puncak)
direktrix

P(x, y)
Focus point

Z A F O A’ x
(c, 0)

L
a
x  
Direktrix equation e
Figure 1
2 2
x y
2
 2
1  a general equation for the ellipse.
a b

ELLIPSE EQUATION

 two of the main elliptical are elliptical horizontal and vertical ( a > b )

elliptical horizontal equation ( a > b) Why study ellipses?

2 2
b Many buildings and bridges use the
x y
2
 2
1 ellipse as a pleasing (and strong)
a b a
shape
elliptical vertical equation ( a > b)
a
2 2
x y
2
 2
1
b a b

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 ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Elliptical Horizontal Equation

Horizontal elliptical equation which is the focus points (-c, 0) and (c, 0) is (c = ae):

2 2
x y Major axis  x – axis
2
 2
1 Minor axis  y – axis
a b

c values can be obtained from the equation (a> b)

Focus point
(0, b)

(-a,0) c (a, 0)

(0, -b)
Vertex (major)
Vertex (minor)
a a
x   x  
e e
Direktrix

Figure 2

The points (a, 0) and (0, b) is called elliptic vertex.

Ellipse described above is a horizontal ellipse as major axis is parallel to the

horizontal axis. The ratio of the ellipse is eccentric and written as e and equal to

 a b
2 2 2
c c
e 
a

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Ex 1: Find vertex, focus, eccentric and direktrix equation for ellipse equations
2 2
x y
 1
25 16

Solution:
2 2 2 2
x y x y
Compare the equations  1 with general equations 2
 2
1
25 16 a b

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Elliptical Vertical Equation

Vertical elliptical equation which is the focus points (0, c) and (0,-c) is:

2 2
x y Major axis  y – axis
2
 2
1 Minor axis  x – axis
b a

c values can be obtained from the equation c

2
 a
2
b
2
with ( a > b )

a
(0, a) y  
e

Direktrix
f(0, c) Focus point

(-b, 0) (b, 0)
f(0, -c)
Vertex (major) Vertex (minor)

(0, -a)
a
y  
e

Figure 3

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Ex 2: Find vertex, focus, eccentric and direktrix equation for ellipse equations
 y  36
2 2
9x

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Table 1 : Elliptical equation with centre at (0,0)

Note: The value of ‘a’ must be major axis (major) in a horizontal or

vertical ellipsis

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Ellipses with Centre Other Than the Origin

Table 2 : Elliptical equation with centre at (h, k)

If the horizontal or vertical center of the ellipse is shifted from the origin point (0, 0)
as new coordinates in figure 4 (horizontal ellipse) and figure 5 (vertical ellipse), the
equation of the ellipse is transformed from equation table 1 to equation table 2.

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

From figure 4 and figure 5 notes to the new coordinates after the change of
coordinates the center position (0, 0) to (h, k)

y
(h, k+b)

(h-c, k) (h+c, k)
(h-a, k) (h, k) (h+a, k)

(h, k-b)
(0, b)

(-c, 0) (c, 0)
(-a, 0) (0, 0) (a, 0) x

(0, -b)

Figure 4 : Horizontal Ellips

y
(h, k+a)

(h, k+c)

(h-b, k) (h, k) (h+b, k)

(0, a)
(h, k-c)

(0,c)
(h, k-a)
(-b, 0) (0, 0) ( b, 0) x
(0,-c)

(0,-a)

Figure 5: Vertical Ellipse

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Ex 3: Find the focus, vertex, eccentric and direktrix for ellipse equations below.

( x  3) ( y  1)
2 2

 1
25 16

Solution
( x  3) ( y  1)
2 2

Compare equation  1 with general equation

25 16
(x  h) (y  k)
2 2

2
 2
1
a b

a2 = 25 then, a =  5 and b2 = 16 then, b =  4

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Ex 4: Find the focus, vertex, eccentric and direktrix for ellipse equations below.

 36 x  4 y  8y  4  0
2 2
9x

Solution

Equation rearranged as

 4 x)  4( y  2 y)  4
2 2
9( x

completing the square equation


9 ( x  2)
2
 
 4  4 ( y  1)
2

 1  4

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Tutorial

1. Find vertex, focus, eccentric and direktrix equation for ellipse

equations below, Sketch the ellipse:
2 2 2
x x y
 y 1
2
i). ii).  1
2 6 4

4x  8y  16
2 2
 y  8
2 2
iii). 2x iv).

2. Find vertex, focus, eccentric, and direktrix equation of the ellipse

( y  1)
2 2

i) ii).
x
 1 ( x  2)  4 ( y  1)  4
2 2

9 4

3. Find the equation of an ellipse with eccentricity , focus (-2, 2) and

3
5
( x  5) ( y  2)
2 2

direktrix  Answer
22
x    1
3 25 16

4. Find the equation of an ellipse where vertex (3, 2) and (3, -4) , focus
at (3, 5 -1) and (3,  5 -1)

Ans (Question 1)
i. Vertex ( 2 , 0), ( 2 , 0), (0, 1), (0, -1)
eccentric e = , Focus 1, 0), direktriks x =
1
(  2
2

ii. Vertex ( 6 , 0), ( 6 , 0), (0, 2), (0, -2)

eccentric e = , Focus , 0), direktriks x =
1
( 2  3 2
3

iii. Vertex (2, 0), (-2, 0), (0, 8 ), (0, - 8 )

eccentric e = , Focus (0, ), direktriks y =
1
 2  4
2

iv. Vertex (2, 0), (-2, 0), (0, 2 ), (0, - 2 )

eccentric e = , Focus, (  , 0) ,direktriks x =
2 4
2 
2 2

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ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 4 CONICS BA501

Table 3: Comparison of horizontal and vertical ellipse

Equation

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