ELLIPSE

SYNOPSIS  If  ,  are the eccentric angles of the extremities

of a focal chord (through S(ae, 0)) of an ellipse S
Ellipse: = 0 (a>b), then
 A conic is said to be an ellipse if its eccentricity is
       
less than 1  0  e  1  cos    e cos  
 2   2 
 A second degree non-homogeneous equation
ax 2  2hxy  by 2  2 gx  2 fy  c  0 represents an   e 1
 Tan Tan 
2 2 e 1
ellipse if h 2  ab  0 and   0
 If the chord joining the points  and  on the
x2 y2
 Standard equation of the ellipse is   1 .If ellipse S = 0 cuts the major axis at a distance ‘d’
a2 b2
  d a
ab units from the centre then Tan Tan 
2 2 d a

 Tangent of an ellipse: Equation of the tangent

1
Z1 A x x1 y y1
A Z to the ellipse S = 0 at (x1 , y1 ) is  1
2
1 C a b2
S S
(i.e. S1  0)
 Equation of any tangent to the ellipse S = 0 is
 Let ‘P’ be any point on the ellipse and S,S are 1
y  mx  a 2 m 2  b 2 , where m is slope of the
foci then SP + S1P = 2a(a>b). Where SP, S1P are tangent.
2 2
called focal distances of P. a m b  
i.e sum of the focal distances is equal to length of And point of contact is   c , c 
 
the major axis.
 If lx  my  n  0 is a tangent to the ellipse
 If P (x1, y1 ) is a point on the ellipse x2 y2
 1 then the condition is a 2 l 2  b 2 m 2  n 2
a2 b2
x2 y2
  1,  a  b  then the focal distances  a 2l b 2 m 
a2 b2
and point of contact is  n , n 
SP  a  ex1 , S 1P  a  ex1  
Note: The focal distances of the ellipse  Equation of the tangent at  to the ellipse S = 0
x y
x2 y2 is cos   sin   1
  1  a  b  are b  ey1 a b
a 2 b2
 Parametric Coordinates :  The area of an ellipse S=0 is ab sq.units
 The maximum area of a rectangle that can be
are called paramet ric
x  a cos  ; y  b sin 
inscribed in the ellipse S=0 is 2ab sq.units and the
equations of the ellipse S = 0. ‘  ’ is parameter
sides are a 2,b 2 .
and   [0, 2 )
 Any point on the ellipse S = 0 is (a cos  , b sin  ) and  The product of the perpendiculars drawn from the
it is called point  . foci on any tangent of the ellipse

Note: If centre is  h, k  then any point x2 y2

2
 2
 1 is b 2 (if a>b), is a 2 (if a<b)
a b
p =  h  a cos  , k  bsin    The locus of the foot of the perpendicular drawn
from the centre upon any tangent to the ellipse
 Equation of the Chord : Equation of the chord
joining the points ‘  ’ and ‘  ’ on the ellipse S = x2 y2
  1 is  x 2  y 2   a 2 x 2  b 2 y 2
2
2 2
a b
x      y        
0 is cos    sin    cos 
a  2  b  2   2 
e (0,0)

ae

on ellipse
 Director Circle & Auxiliary Circle x2 y2
1.   1  a  b
Director Circle : The locus of point of intersection a 2 b2
of perpendicular tangents to an ellipse is a circle 2
concentric with the ellipse. This circle is called  2
dis tan ce from P to min or axis 

director circle of the ellipse. a2
 Equation of the Director circle of the ellipse    2 dis tan ce from P to major axis 2
S = 0 is x 2  y 2  a 2  b 2 1
b2
 Auxiliary Circle : The locus of the feet of the
perpendiculars drawn from foci to any tangent to
the ellipse is a circle concentric with the ellipse. 2. Let the tangent and normal at P, the point  x ' , y '  ,
This circle is called auxiliary circle of the ellipse. meet the axis in T and G respectively , and let PN
 Equation of the auxiliary circle of the ellipse
be the ordinate of P.
S = 0 is i) x 2  y 2  a 2  a  b 
ii) x 2  y 2  b 2  a  b  Y

 The auxiliary circle of an ellipse is the circle on the Q

major axis of the ellipse as diameter. B
 Normal : Equation of normal at (x1, y1) to the P
Y
a 2 x b2y
ellipse S= 0 is   a2  b2 A
x1 y1 S C G N S T
 Equation of the normal at ‘ ’ to the ellipse S = 0 is F
ax by B
  a 2  b2
cos  sin 
g

(a) SG=e.SP , and the tangent and normal at P

bisect the external and internal angles between the
focal distances of P.
(b) If SY and S 'Y ' be the perpendiculars from
the foci upon the tangent at any point P of the
ellipse, then Y and Y ' lie on the auxiliary circle,
and SY.S 'Y '  b 2 . Also CY and S ' P are
parallel.
(c) If the normal at any point P meet the major and
minor axes in G ang g, and if CF be the
perpendicular upon this normal, then PF.PG  b 2
and PF.Pg  a 2 .