Test 15 (Lessons 29–30): Ellipses and Hyperbolas Solutions

For problems 1–2, write the equation in standard form.

  1. An ellipse

center (4, –1)
a = 3, b = 5

x429+y+1249=1 

  1. A hyperbola

center (–5, 3)
a = 5, b = 8

x+5225y3264=1 

  1. Write and graph the equation of a horizontal ellipse translated 2 spaces down from the center with a domain of [11, 11] and a range of  [8, 4].

(0, 0)  (0, 0  2) 
center (0, –2)

major: 222=11
112=121

minor: 122=6
62=36

x2121+y+2236=1 

 

  1. Describe how to determine if an ellipse will be horizontal or vertical when only given the equation in standard form.

Sample: The values of a and b determine the major and minor axes. When a>b, the ellipse has a horizontal major axis. When b>a, the ellipse has a vertical major axis.

  1. Explain how to find the asymptotes when given the equation of a hyperbola in standard form.

Sample: The center of the hyperbola and the slope are needed to write the equations of the asymptotes in point-slope form. The equation will be: yk=±baxh 

  1. Graph.
    y2.524x+32100=1 

(–3, 2.5)

b = 4
a = 10

m=±ba=±410m=±25

For problems 7–8, name the conic section from the given equation. Explain your reasoning.

  1. 4x2+10y=25y2+5x+20

4x225y25x+10y+20=04x2+0xy25y25x+10y+20=0 A=4, B=0, C=25

Sample: The equation represents a hyperbola because both x and y have squared terms and the values of A and C are non-zero with different signs.

  1. 2y2+3y=4x+7 

2y24x+3y7=00x2+0xy+2y24x+3y7=0 

Sample: The equation represents a parabola because A=0, and there is only one term raised to the second power. (Optional: The parabola opens to the right.)

  1. Write the equation in standard form. Name the type of conic and its center. 
    4x2+25y2+50y=66+12x

4x212x+25y2+50y=664x23x+25y2+2y=664x23x+322+25y2+2y+222=66+4322+25222 4x322+25y+12=66+494+2514x1.52+25y+12=66+9+254x1.52100+25y+12100=100100

x1.5225+y+124=1

This is an ellipse with a center at (1.5, 1).

  1. A group of students was told that the equation 5y2+12x+10y=3x2+22 would result in a hyperbola, but when they solved it, their result was an ellipse. Determine the correct equation and explain your reasoning.

    Student work (contains error)

3x2+12x+5y2+10y=223x24x+422+5y2+2y+222=223422+52223x22+5y+12=2212+53x2215+5y+1215=1515x225+y+123=1y+123x225=1

Sample: The group of students did not subtract 3x2 from both sides. In order to have a hyperbola, x2 and y2 need to have opposite signs.

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