Tutorial 6

Find the centre, vertices and foci of the ellipses in Problems 1-5.
(𝑥 − 7)2⁄ (𝑦 − 5)2⁄
1. 4 + 25 = 1

(𝑥 + 1)2⁄ (𝑦 + 4)2⁄
2. 9 + 25 = 1

3. 25(𝑥 − 3)2 + 4(𝑦 − 1)2 = 100

4. 𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 25𝑦 2 = 0

5. 9𝑥 2 + 16𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 − 96𝑦 + 9 = 0

6. Find an equation for the ellipse that has centre 𝐶(0,0), a focus at 𝐹(0,2), and a
major axis of length 8. Then calculate the eccentricity and sketch the ellipse.

7. Find an equation for the ellipse that has centre 𝐶(0,2), a focus at 𝐹(0,0), and a
major axis of length 6.

8. The endpoints of the major and minor axes of an ellipse are (1,1), (3,4), (1,7) and
(−1,4). Sketch the ellipse, given an equation for it, and find its foci.

9. Sketch the region of points which satisfy the following inequality:

9𝑥 2 + 16𝑦 2 ≤ 144

10. Draw an ellipse of eccentricity 4⁄5.

11. Halley’s comet follows an elliptical orbit that is 36.18 AU long and 9.12 AU wide
(where 1 AU = 148,993,400 km).

(a) Write an equation for the orbit of Halley’s comet scaled in astronomical units
(AU), assuming the sun lies at the origin and the other focus lies on the positive 𝑥
axis.
(b) About how close does the comet come to the sun in astronomical units? In
kilometres?
(c) What is the farthest the comet gets from the sun in astronomical units? In
kilometres?
 12. Sketch the following hyperbolas and their asymptotes:
2 𝑦2
(a) 𝑥 ⁄9 − ⁄16 = 1
𝑦2 2
(b) ⁄9 − 𝑥 ⁄16 = 1

In Problems 13-16, find the centre, vertices, foci and asymptotes of the given hyperbola.
Then sketch the hyperbola, showing these features.
13. 9(𝑥 − 2)2 − 4(𝑦 + 3)2 = 36

14. 4(𝑥 − 2)2 − 9(𝑦 + 3)2 = 36

15. 16(𝑦 − 3)2 − 9(𝑥 − 4)2 = 144

16. 5𝑥 2 − 4𝑦 2 + 20𝑥 + 8𝑦 = 4

17. Find an equation for the hyperbola with foci at (0,0) and (0,4) that passes through
the point (12,9).

(𝑥 − 17.5)2⁄ 𝑦 2⁄
18. Given 18.09 2 + 4.562 = 1 is an equation used to model the orbit of
Halley’s comet, find the eccentricity of the comet’s orbit.

19. Find an equation for the hyperbola with centre (0,0), a focus at (4,0), and a vertex
at (−1,0). What is the eccentricity of this hyperbola?

2
2 𝑦
20. Sketch the curve with equation 𝑥 ⁄4 − ⁄9 = 1, showing all relevant information.

2 𝑦2
21. Sketch the ellipse with equation 𝑥 ⁄12 + ⁄16 = 1. In your diagram, clearly
indicate the position of the centre, vertices, foci and intercepts.

22. Sketch the curve with equation −4𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 8𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 7 = 0, and include all
important points.

23. Find an equation of the ellipse with foci (0, ±2) and vertices (0, ±3).

24. Find the foci and equation of the hyperbola with vertices (0, ±1) and asymptote
𝑦 = 2𝑥.
25. Find an equation of the ellipse with foci (2, −2), (4, −2) and vertices
(1, −2), (5, −2).

26. Find an equation of the hyperbola with foci (2,2) and (6,2), asymptotes 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 2
and 𝑦 = 6 − 𝑥.

27. The point in a lunar orbit nearest the surface of the moon is called perilune and the
point farthest from the surface is called apolune. The Apollo 11 spacecraft was
placed in an elliptical lunar orbit with perilune altitude 110 km and apolune altitude
314 km (above the moon). Find an equation of this ellipse if the radius of the moon is
1728 km and the centre of the moon is at one focus.

28. Sketch the region of points which satisfy the inequality 16𝑥 2 + 9(𝑦 − 1)2 < 144.
Remember to include all important points.

29. Sketch the graph with equation 9𝑥 2 + 16𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 − 96𝑦 + 9 = 0, including all
important points. Also, determine the eccentricity.

30. Sketch the curve with equation 4𝑦 2 − 5𝑥 2 + 20𝑥 + 8𝑦 = −4. Label clearly the
centre, vertices, foci, asymptotes and intercepts.

31. Consider the unit circle with equation

𝑥2 + 𝑦2 = 1
Use Octave to plot both the upper and lower halves of the unit circle (upper and
lower semi-circles) on the same graph.
Plot your semi-circles as black lines inside a box with the 𝑥 and 𝑦 axes scaled equally.
Now consider the horizontally aligned ellipses with equation
2
𝑥 2⁄ + 𝑦 ⁄ = 1; 𝑎 ≥ 𝑏 > 0; 𝑐 = √𝑎2 − 𝑏 2 ; 𝜖 = 𝑐⁄𝑎
𝑎2 𝑏2
(The unit circle is the special subcase with 𝑎 = 𝑏 = 1, 𝑐 = 𝜖 = 0.)
Fix 𝑎 = 1. Inside the same box as your circle use Octave to plot the horizontally
aligned ellipses with eccentricities 𝜖 = 0.3,0.6,0.9.
You will need to plot the upper and lower halves of each ellipse separately. Plot
them as black lines.
Note the effect eccentricity has on the shape an ellipse.
ANSWERS

1. 𝐶(7,5), 𝑉(7,0), 𝑉(7,10), 𝐹(7,5 ± √21)

2. 𝐶(−1, −4), 𝑉(−1,1), 𝑉(−1, −9), 𝐹(−1,0), 𝐹(−1, −8)
3. 𝐶(3,1), 𝑉(3,6), 𝑉(3, −4), 𝐹(3,1 ± √21)
4. 𝐶(−5,0), 𝑉(−10,0), 𝑉(0,0), 𝐹(−5 ± 2√6, 0)
5. 𝐶(−1,3), 𝑉(−5,3), 𝑉(3,3), 𝐹(−1 ± √7, 3)
2 𝑦2
6. 𝑥 ⁄12 + ⁄16 = 1, 𝑒 = 1⁄2
2 (𝑦 − 2)2⁄
7. 𝑥 ⁄5 + 9 = 1, 𝑒 = ⁄3
2
(𝑥 − 1)2⁄ (𝑦 − 4)2⁄
8. 4 + 9 = 1; 𝐹(1,4 ± √5)
9. The ellipse and its interior
10. One example is an ellipse with 𝑎 = 5, 𝑏 = 3, 𝑐 = 4
(𝑥 − 17.5)2⁄ 𝑦 2⁄ 7
11. (a) 18.09 2 + 4.562 = 1 (b) 0.584 AU, 8.71 × 10 km (c) 35.60 AU,
5.30 × 109 km
12. (a) Hyperbola with centre 𝐶(0,0), vertices 𝑉(−3,0), 𝑉(3,0) and asymptotes
𝑦 = ± 4⁄3 𝑥
(b) Hyperbola with centre 𝐶(0,0), vertices 𝑉(0, −3), 𝑉(0,3) and asymptotes

𝑦 = ± 3⁄4 𝑥

13. 𝐶(2, −3), 𝑉(4, −3), 𝑉(0, −3), 𝐹(2 ± √13, −3),
asymptotes 𝑦 = 3⁄2 𝑥 − 6, 𝑦 = − 3⁄2 𝑥
14. 𝐶(2, −3), 𝑉(5, −3), 𝑉(−1, −3), 𝐹(2 ± √13, −3),
asymptotes 𝑦 = 2⁄3 𝑥 − 13⁄3 , 𝑦 = − 2⁄3 𝑥 − 5⁄3
15. 𝐶(4,3), 𝑉(4,6), 𝑉(4,0), 𝐹(4,8), 𝐹(4, −2),
asymptotes 𝑦 = 3⁄4 𝑥, 𝑦 = − 3⁄4 𝑥 + 6
16. 𝐶(−2,1), 𝑉(0,1), 𝑉(−4,1), 𝐹(−5,1), 𝐹(1,1),
asymptotes 𝑦 = √5⁄2 𝑥 + √5 + 1, 𝑦 = − √5⁄2 𝑥 − √5 + 1
2
17. (𝑦 − 2)2 − 𝑥 ⁄3 = 1
18. 0.9677
𝑦2
19. 𝑥 2 − ⁄15 = 1, eccentricity = 4
20. Hyperbola with horizontal orientation, centre at origin, vertices (±2,0), foci
(±√13, 0) and asymptotes 𝑦 = ± 3⁄2 𝑥
21. Ellipse with vertical orientation, centre at origin, vertices (0, ±4), foci (0, ±2) and 𝑥
intercepts (±2√3, 0)
22. Hyperbola with vertical orientation, centre (1, −1), vertices (1,1), (1, −3), foci
(1, −1 ± √5), 𝑦 intercepts (0, −1 ± 2√2) and asymptotes
𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 3, 𝑦 = −2𝑥 + 1
2 𝑦2
23. 𝑥 ⁄5 + ⁄9 = 1
24. Foci (0, ± √5⁄2) and equation 𝑦 2 − 4𝑥 2 = 1
(𝑥 − 3)2⁄ (𝑦 + 2)2⁄
25. 4 + 3=1
2 2
(𝑦 − 2) ⁄
(𝑥 − 4) ⁄
26. 2− 2=1
2
2 𝑦
27. 𝑥 ⁄3763600 + ⁄3753196 = 1
28. Interior (boundary excluded) of an ellipse with vertical orientation, centre (0,1),
vertices (0, −3), (0,5), foci (0,1 ± √7) and 𝑥 intercepts (± 3√15⁄4 , 0)
29. Ellipse with horizontal orientation, centre (−1,3), vertices (−5,3), (3,3),
foci (−1 ± √7, 3), 𝑦 intercepts (0,3 ± 3√15⁄4) and touches the 𝑥 axis at (−1,0).

Eccentricity = √7⁄4
30. Hyperbola with horizontal orientation, centre (2, −1), vertices (0, −1), (4, −1), foci
(−1, −1), (5, −1), asymptotes 𝑦 = √5⁄2 𝑥 − √5 − 1, 𝑦 = − √5⁄2 𝑥 + √5 − 1 and 𝑥

intercepts (2 ± 2√6⁄5 , 0)
31. The following code generates the unit circle and the ellipse with eccentricity = 0.3.
To generate ellipses with other eccentricities you only need to change the variable
eps.
X=-1:0.01:1;
YU=sqrt(1-X.^2);
YD=-YU;
clf;
hold on;
box on;
axis(“equal”);
plot(X,YU,”k”,X,YD,”k”);
a=1;
eps=0.3;
b=a*sqrt(1-eps^2);
YU=b*sqrt(1-X.^2/a^2);
YD=-YU;
plot(X,YU,”k”,X,YD,”k”);
hold off;