Question

What is the equation of the ellipse with foci (7,0), (-7,0) and co-vertices (0,3), (0,-3)?

Answer 1

Dear Mr. B:
Let's first try to figure out whether your ellipse is a vertical one or a horizontal one. We are told that the foci are at (-7,0) and (7,0) (which implies that the vertices (not the co-vertices) are further than 7 units from the center of your ellipse. We are also told that the "co-vertices" are at (0,-3) and (0,3), which are two points on the y-axis.
Would you mind doing a quick-and-dirty sketch of this ellipse? If possible, use the Draw utility, below.