ellipses

Question

ellipses

lovelyharmonics · Answer

Find an equation in standard form for the ellipse with the vertical major axis of length 18, and minor axis of length 6.

imstuck · Answer

Are you familiar with the standard form for an ellipse?

lovelyharmonics · Answer

yes

imstuck · Answer

Do you know by looking at the info they gave you if it is centered at the origin or not?

lovelyharmonics · Answer

nope i just know x^2/a^2+y^2/b^2

lovelyharmonics · Answer

@aajugdar woah .-.you showed up when i typed your name...

anonymous · Answer

lol i am realy realy sleepy
i need coffee

imstuck · Answer

Actually, that is the wrong form because your major axis is your vertical axis and your vertical axis is the y axis, not the x axis.  In ellipses, the "a^2" and "b^2" terms move as opposed to the x^2 and y^2 like they do in a hyperbola.  AND in an ellipse, a^2 is ALWAYS ALWAYS bigger than b^2.  So with that being said, what is the standard form of the ellipse you are looking for if the y axis is the major axis?

lovelyharmonics · Answer

tonight i get to go out with friends to starbucks c: im getting coffee then... but here

imstuck · Answer

Let's start with the beginning here.  The form you are looking for is$$\frac{ x ^{2} }{ b ^{2} }+\frac{ y ^{2} }{ a ^{2} }=1$$If the only info they gave you is the length of the major and minor axes, then you can assume that the center is at the origin (0, 0).

lovelyharmonics · Answer

okay.... so  x^2/b^2 -y^2/a^2 easy fix

rishavraj · Answer

@lovelyharmonics  see in ellipse 
lenght of major axis = 2a
& length of minor axis equals = 2b...did u know that??

anonymous · Answer

hahaha thank you

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1402671506591:dw|
the ellipse is like this

lovelyharmonics · Answer

correct c:

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1402671570876:dw|