Module 5: MORE PROBLEMS ON CONIC SECTIONS
I – LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE LESSON
At the end of the lesson, the student is able to:
1. recognize the equation and important characteristics of the different types of conic sections; and
2. solve situational problems involving conic sections.
II – REFERENCES
Pelias, John Gabriel P. 2016. Pre – Calculus. Rex Book Store. Manila
Garces, Ian June L., Ph.D. 2016. Pre – Calculus. Published by the Commission on Higher Education in
collaboration with the Philippine Normal University.
III – LEARNING CONTENT
Introduction
Inspecting the equation can lead us to the right conic section for its graph, and set us on the right step
towards analyzing it. We will also look at problems that use the properties of the different conic sections, allowing
us to synthesize what has been covered so far.
Identifying the Conic Section by Inspection
Let us recall the general form of the equations of the other conic sections. We may write the equations of
conic sections we discussed in the general form
2 2
A x + B y +Cx+ Dy + E=0
Some terms may vanish, depending on the kind of conic section.
1. Circle: both x 2 and y 2 appear, and their coefficients are the same.
2 2
A x + A y +Cx + Dy+ E=0
Examples:
General Form Standard Form Graph
2 2 2 2
x + y −4 x+8 y −5=0 ( x−2) +( y + 4) =25 Circle
Exception: These are referred to degenerate cases.
( )( )
2 2
1 3
2
2 x +2 y −2 x +6 y +5=0
2
x− + y + =0 Point
2 2
2 2 2 2
x + y −6 x−8 y +50=0 (x−3) +( y−4 ) =−25 Empty Set
2. Parabola: exactly one of x 2 or y 2 appears.
Ax 2+Cx+ Dy + E=0 ( D ≠ 0, opens upward or downward)
By 2+Cx+ Dy + E=0 (C ≠ 0 , opens to the right or left)
Examples:
General Form Standard Form Graph
2 −2
2
3 x −12 x +2 y +26=0 (x−2) = ( y−7) Parabola Opens Downward
3
2 3
2
−2 y + 3 x +12 y−15=0 ( y +3) = (x+1) Parabola Opens to the Right
2
3. Ellipse: both x 2 and y 2 appear, and their coefficients A and B have the same sign and are unequal.
Examples:
General Form Standard Form Graph
2 2
2 2 ( x +2) ( y−1)
2 x +5 y +8 x−10 y−7=0 + =1 Horizontal major axis
10 4
2 2
2 2 ( x−2) ( y−3)
4 x + y −16 x −6 y +21=0 + =1 Vertical major axis
1 4
Degenerate cases
2 2
2 2 ( x−2) ( y+ 1)
4 x + 9 y −16 x +18 y +25=0 + =0 One Point: (2 ,−1)
32 22
2 2
2 2 ( x−2) ( y+ 1)
4 x + 9 y −16 x +18 y +61=0 + =−1 Empty Set
32 22
If A=B , we will classify the conic as a circle, instead of an ellipse.
4. Hyperbola: both x 2 and y 2 appear, and their coefficients A and B have different signs.
Examples:
General Form Standard Form Graph
2 2
2 2 ( x−2) ( y +3)
5 x −3 y −20 x−18 y−22=0 − =1 Horizontal transverse axis
3 5
2 2
2 2 ( x−2) ( y +3)
−4 x + y +24 x + 4 y−36=0 − =1 Vertical transverse axis
3 5
Degenerate case
2 2 INTERSECTING LINE
( x−2) ( y +1)
2 2
4 x −9 y −16 x−18 y +7=0 2
− 2
=0 2
3 2 Two Lines: y +1=± (x−2)
3
A Note on Identifying a Conic Section by Its General Equation:
It is only after transforming a given general equation to standard form that we can identify its graph either
as one of the degenerate conic sections (a point, two intersecting lines, or the empty set) or as one of the non-
degenerate conic sections (circle, parabola, ellipse, or hyperbola).