Conic Section: Formulae & Important Notes

Position of the plane Section

1. Parallel to a generator but not passing through the vertex. A Parabola
2. Oblique to the axis An Ellipse
3. Parallel to the axis A hyperbola

Comparative Study of the Four Parabolas

Parabola y 2  4ax y 2  4ax x 2  4by x2  4by
1. Focus (a,0) (- a,0) (0,b) (0,- b)
2. Directrix x+a=0 x–a=0 y+b=0 y–b=0
3. Axis x – axis x – axis y – axis y – axis
4. Vertex origin origin origin origin
5. Latus Rectum 4a 4a 4b 4b
6. Ends of Latus (a, 2a), (-a, 2a) (2b, b) (2b, - b)
Rectum (a, -2a) (- a, - 2a) (- 2b, b) (- 2b, - b)
7. Lies in I and IV II and III I and II III and IV
quadrants quadrants quadrants quadrants

Comparative Study of the Two Ellipses

Ellipse x2 / a2  y 2 / b2  1, (a  b) x2 / a2  y 2 / b  1, (b  a)
1. Center (0, 0) (0, 0)
2. Foci S(ae, 0), S’(- ae, 0) S(0, be), S’( 0, - be)
3. Directrices d  x  a / e, d '  x   a / e d  y  b / e, y   b / e
4. Vertices A (a, 0), A’ ( - a, 0), A (a, 0), A’ ( - a, 0)
B(0, b), B’ (0, - b) B(0, b), B’ (0, - b)
5. Axes Major axis, AA’ = 2a Minor axis, BB’=2b
Minor axis, BB’=2b Major axis, AA’ = 2a
6. Latus Rectum 2b 2 2a 2
a b
7. Relation between b  a (1  e2 )
2 2 a  b (1  e2 )
2 2
a, b and e

Comparative Study of the Two Hyperbolas

Hyperbola x 2 / a 2  y 2 / b2  1 y 2 / b2  x 2 / a 2  1
1. Center (0, 0) (0, 0)
2. Foci S(ae, 0), S’(- ae, 0) S(0, be), S’( 0, - be)
3. Directrices d  x  a / e, d '  x   a / e d  y  b / e, d '  y   b / e
4. Vertices A (a, 0), A’ ( - a, 0) B(0, b)B’( 0,- b)
B(0, b), B’ (0, - b) B(0, b), B’ (0, - b)
5. Axes Transverse axis, AA’ = 2a Transverse axis, BB’=2b
Conjugate axis, BB’ = 2b Conjugate axis, AA’=2a
6. Latus Rectum 2b 2 2a 2
a b
7. Relation between a, b2  a2 (e2  1) a 2  b2 (e2  1)
b and e
 Comparative study of Standard Equation of Parabola, Ellipse and Hyperbola
Parabola Ellipse Hyperbola
1. Standard Equation y 2  4ax x2 y2 x2 y 2
 1  1
a2 b2 a 2 b2
2. Eccentricity e=1 e<1 e >1
3. Relation between - b2  a2 (1  e2 ) b2  a2 (e2  1)
a 2 and b2
4. Centre - (0, 0) (0, 0)
5. Vertices (0, 0) (a, 0) (- a, 0) (a, 0) (- a, 0)
(0, b) (0, - b) (0, b) (0, - b)
6. Foci (a, 0) (ae, 0), (- ae, 0) (ae, 0), (- ae, 0)
7. Equation of directrices x+a=0 a a
x x
e e
8. Axis x – axis Major Axis = 2a Transverse Axis =
(along x – axis) 2a(along x – axis)
Minor Axis = 2b Conjugate Axis = 2b
(along y – axis) (along y – axis),
9. Length of Latus Rectum 4a 2b 2 2b 2
a a
10. Symmetry About x – axis About origin and About origin and
both axes both axes
11. Distance between Foci - 2 ae 2 ae
12. Distance between directrices - 2a 2a
e e

Standard Equations
Curve Cartesian Form Parametric Form
1. Circle x2  y 2  a2 x  a cos  , y  a sin 

2. Parabola y 2  4ax x  at 2 , y  2at

3. Ellipse x2 y 2 x  a cos  , y  b sin 
 1
a 2 b2
4. Hyperbola x2 y 2 x  a sec  , y  b tan 
 1
a 2 b2

Equations of tangents
Curve Cartesian Form Parametric Form Slope Form
1. Circle x x  yy  a 2 x cos   y sin   a
1 1 y  mx  a 1  m2
2. Parabola yy  2a ( x  x ) y t  x  at 2 a
1 1 y  mx 
m
3. Ellipse xx yy x y
1  1 1 cos   sin   1 y  mx  a 2 m2  b 2
a b
a2 b2
4. Hyperbola xx yy x y
1  1 1 sec   tan   1 y  mx  a 2 m2  b 2
a b
a2 b2