CHAPTER 4

CONICS
4.1 CIRCLES
4.2 ELLIPSES
4.3 PARABOLAS
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, student should be able to:

Determine standard and general equation of circles,

ellipses and parabolas.
Determine centre of a circle, foci of ellipse and
parabola.
Calculate length of latus rectum.
 INTRODUCTION

By taking different slices through a cone you can create

a circle, an ellipse, a parabola or a hyperbola as
illustrated below:
4.1 CIRCLES
Definition
A circle is a set of all points in a plane that are at a fixes
distance from the point called the centre of the circle. A fixes
distance is called a radius of the circle (denoted by r).

All points are the same distance

from the center.
Radius, Diameter and
Circumference
CASE 1: CENTRE AT ORIGIN (0,0)

Consider a circle of radius 5 on a graph:

We make a right-angled triangle from Pythagoras:

x2 + y 2 = 5 2
Thus, in the case where the centre of the circle is
at origin, all cases a point on the circle follows
the rule
x2 + y 2 = r2
CASE 2: CENTRE AT (a , b)

Consider the center at (a, b)

So the circle is all the points

(x,y) that are "r" away from the
center (a,b).

By using a right-angled triangle

and Pythagoras:
(x−a)2 + (y−b)2 = r2
STANDARD FORM EQUATION OF CIRCLE
EXAMPLE 1

Find the equation of the circle a with center at (3,4) and

a radius of 6.

Solution:

From
(x−a)2 + (y−b)2 = r2

Put in (a,b) and r:

(x−3)2 + (y−4)2 = 62
EXAMPLE 2

A circle has center (3, -5) and the point (-1, -8) lies on
the circumference of the circle.

Write the equation of the circle in Standard Form.

Solution:
Using

(x−a)2 + (y−b)2 = r2
STANDARD FORM EQUATION OF CIRCLE
Answer:
Exercise 1

A circle has center (-7, 11) and the point (4, -3) lies on
the circumference of the circle.

Write the equation of the circle in Standard Form?

Sometimes we may see a circle equation but not know it because it may not
be in the neat "Standard Form“.
As an example, let’s put some values to a, b and r and then expand it:
Start with: (x-a)2 + (y-b)2 = r2

Example: a=1, b=2, r=3:

(x-1)2 + (y-2)2 = 32

Expand: x2 - 2x + 1 + y2 - 4y + 4 = 9

Gather like terms: x2 + y2 - 2x - 4y + 1 + 4 - 9 = 0

Simplify:
x2 + y2 - 2x - 4y - 4 = 0

x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + C = 0
GENERAL FORM EQUATION OF CIRCLE
DETERMINE CENTRE AND RADIUS FROM GENERAL FORM

x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + C = 0
GENERAL FORM EQUATION OF CIRCLE

•
GENERAL FORM TO STANDARD FORM
Given that general form of circle equation:
x2 + y2 - 2x - 4y - 4 = 0
Put x and y together: (x2 - 2x) + (y2 - 4y) - 4 = 0
(x2 - 2x) + (y2 - 4y) = 4
Complete the square for x (take half of the 2, square it, and add to both sides):
(x2 - 2x + (-1)2) + (y2 - 4y) = 4 + (-1)2
Complete the square for y (take half of the 4, square it, and add to both sides):
(x2 - 2x + (-1)2) + (y2 - 4y + (-2)2) = 4 + (-1)2 + (-2)2

Simplify: (x2 - 2x + 1) + (y2 - 4y + 4) = 9

Finally: (x - 1)2 + (y - 2)2 = 32

EXAMPLE 3

The equation of a circle in Standard Form is

(x + 11)2 + (y − 9)2 = 16

What is the equation of the circle in General Form?

EXAMPLE 4

The equation of a circle in Standard Form is

(x − 2.5)2 + (y + 3.5)2 = 10

What is the equation of the circle in General Form?

EXAMPLE 5

Write the equation of the circle in General Form.

POINTS OF INTERSECTION OF TWO CIRCLES

EXAMPLE 6
Find the points of intersection of the circles
given by their equations as follows:
(x - 2)2 + (y - 3)2 = 9 and (x - 1)2 + (y + 1)2 = 16

(1)

(2)

Solving the equation simultaneously for point of intersection,

POINTS OF INTERSECTION OF A CIRCLE AND
STRAIGHT LINE

• If there are two distinct real root, the line and the circle
intersect at two different points.
• When a straight line and circle meet twice at the same point,
the line is tangent to the circle.
• If the equation has no real roots, then the straight line does
not intersect the circle at all.
EXAMPLE 7
•
EXAMPLE 8

Find the value of k if the circle x2 + y2 - 2x + 6y + k = 0

touches the line 3x + 4y = 16.
Hence determine the point of contact.
Equations Of The Tangent And Normal To A Circle

•
EXAMPLE 9
•

x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + C = 0

(x 2)
Eq of tangent at P
4.2 ELLIPSES
An ellipse is the set of all points on a plane whose
distance from two fixed points F and G add up to a
constant.

The total distance from F to P to G is constant.

Major and Minor Axes

The Major Axis is the longest diameter. It goes from one

side of the ellipse, through the center, to the other side,
at the widest part of the ellipse. And the Minor Axis is
the shortest diameter.
CASE 1: STANDARD EQUATION OF ELLIPSE WITH AT ORIGIN

Vertex (b,0)
Vertex

F1 (-c,0) F2 (c,0)
(-a,0) O (a,0)

(-b,0)

Latus rectum Latus rectum

 By placing an ellipse on an x-y graph (with its major axis
on the x-axis and minor axis on the y-axis), the equation
of the curve is:

Where b2 = a2 – c2

Length of major axis: 2a

Length of minor axis: 2b
 (0,a)

F2 (0, c)

O
(0,-b) (0, b)

Where c2 = a2 – b2
F1 (0,-c)

(0,-a)
SUMMARY OF STANDARD EQUATION OF
ELLIPSE WITH CENTRE AT ORIGIN.

Major
Ellipse Centre Foci Vertices
axis

Horizontal (0, 0)

Vertical (0, 0)
EXAMPLE 10

•
CASE 2: STANDARD EQUATION OF ELLIPSE WITH AT (h, k)

Ellipse Major axis Centre Foci Vertices

Horizontal (h, k)

Vertical (h, k)
EXAMPLE 11

•
GENERAL EQUATION OF ELLIPSE

To convert the general equation to standard

form completing the square method is used.
EXAMPLE 12

•
4.3 PARABOLAS
A parabola is a curve where any point is at
an equal distance from:
• a fixed point (the focus ), and
• a fixed straight line (the directrix )
Here are the important terms:
• the directrix and focus.
• the axis of symmetry.
• the vertex.
 Additional info

A parabola has this amazing property:

Any ray parallel to the axis of symmetry gets reflected off
the surface straight to the focus.
So the parabola can be used for:
satellite dishes,
radar dishes,
concentrating the sun's rays to make a hot
spot,
the reflector on spotlights and torches
CASE 1: STANDARD EQUATION OF PARABOLA
WHEN THE VERTEX AT ORIGIN

Vertex (0,0) (0,0) (0,0) (0,0)

Focus (a,0) (-a,0) (0,a) (0,-a)

Directrix x=-a x=a y=-a y=a

Length of latus rectum = 4a

EXAMPLE 13

Find the equation of the parabolas with the

following vertices and foci:

a) Vertex (0,0); focus (2,0)

b) Vertex (0,0); focus (0,1)
c) Vertex (0,0); focus (-3,0)
d) Vertex (0,0); focus (0,-2)
CASE 2: STANDARD EQUATION OF PARABOLA
WHEN THE VERTEX AT (h, k)

Equation (y-k)2=4a(x-h) (y-k)2=-4a(x-h) (x-h)2=4a(y-k) (x-h)2=-4a(y-k)

Vertex (h,k) (h,k) (h,k) (h,k)

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

Directrix x=h-a x=h+a y=k-a y=k+a

Opens to the Opens to the Opens
Shape Opens upward
right left downward
EXAMPLE 14

Find the equation of the parabolas with the

following vertices and foci:

a) Vertex (3,2); focus (4,2)

b) Vertex (-4,3); focus (-4,1)
GENERAL EQUATION OF PARABOLA

or

To convert the general equation to standard

form completing the square method is used.
EXAMPLE 15

•
 REFERENCES
• Ong B. S., Maheran N., Lee K. Y., Che N. N., Yong Z. Z. 2018.
Mathematics for Matriculation Semester 2. 5th Edition. Oxford
Fajar.
• Lee B. H., Rohana I., Affaf M., Lee K. Y., Meei L. 2015. Q & A
Mathematics for Matriculation Semester Oxford Fajar.
END OF CHAPTER