Reviewer (Pre-Cal)

Conic Sections - a figure formed by the intersection of a plane and a right

circular cone. Depending on the angle of the plane with respect to the cone, a
conic section may be a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola.
Circle
 When the plane is perpendicular to the axis of the cone, the resulting
intersection is a circle.
 General Form: x2 + y2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0
 Standard Form: (x-2) 2 + (y-3) 2 = 4
 Examples:
 Example 1: (x-2) 2 + (y-3) 2 = 4.
(a) Find the center and radius of the circle. (b) Graph the circle.
Note: A common mistake is to take h= -2 and K= -3. In an
equation, if the sign preceding h and k, (h, k) are negative, then h
and k are positive. That is, h= 2 and k= 3.
(a) Center: (h= 2, k= 3) = (2, 3) and radius r=2 since r 2 = 4 => r =
√4 = 2

(b) The graph is

Example 4: x2 + y2 - 6x + 4y + 9 = 0.
(a) Find the center and radius of the circle.
(b) Graph the circle.
Completing the square.

(x - 6x + _) + (y + 4y + _) = -9

(x - 6x + 9) + (y + 4y + _) = -9 + 9 + 4

(x – 3)2 + (y + 2) 2 = 4

(x – 3)2 + (y - (-2)) 2 = 4 this equation is in the standard

form.

(a) Center: (h= 3, k= -2) = (3, -2) and radius r = 2 since r = 4 => r
= √4 = 2
 (b) The graph is
Parabola
 A parabola is the set of all points equidistant from a line and a fixed
point not on the line. The line is called the directrix, and the point is
called the focus. The point on the parabola halfway between the focus
and the directrix is the vertex. The line containing the focus and the
vertex is the axis. A parabola is symmetric with respect to its axis.
 If a parabola has a vertical axis, the standard form of the equation of the
parabola is :(x - h)2 = 4a(y - k). The directrix is the line y = k - a. The axis
is the line x = h. If a > 0, the parabola opens upward, and if a < 0, the
parabola opens downward.
 If a parabola has a horizontal axis, the standard form of the equation of
the parabola is: (y - k) 2 = 4a(x - h). The vertex of this parabola is at (h, k).
The focus is at (h + a, k). The directrix is the line x = h - a. The axis is the
line y = k. If a > 0, the parabola opens to the right, and if a < 0, the
parabola opens to the left. Note that this graph is not a function.
 Examples:
 An arch in a memorial park, having a parabolic shape, has a
height of 25 feet and a base width of 30 feet. Find an equation
which models this shape, using the x-axis to represent the
ground. State the focus and directrix.

For simplicity, I'll center the curve for the arch on the y-axis, so
the vertex will be at (h, k) = (0, 25). Since the width is thirty, then
the x-intercepts must be at x = –15 and x = +15. Obviously, this is
a regular (vertical) but upside-down parabola, so the x part is
squared and I'll have a negative leading coefficient.

Working backwards from the x-intercepts, the equation has to be

of the form: y = a (x – 15) (x + 15). Plugging in the known vertex
value, I get: 25 = a (0 – 15) (0 + 15) = –225a

Then a = –1/9. With a being the leading coefficient from the

regular quadratic equation y = ax2 + bx + c, I also know that the
value of 1/a is the same as the value of 4a, so 1/ (–1/9) = –9 = 4a,
and thus a = –9/4.

The focus is 9/4 units below the vertex; the directrix is the
horizontal line 9/4 units above the vertex:

4a(y – k) = (x – h) 2

4(–9/4)(y – 25) = (x – 0) 2

–9(y – 25) = x2
 focus: (0, 91/4), directrix: y = 109/4

You could also work directly from the conics form of the parabola
equation, plugging in the vertex and an x-intercept, to find the
value of a:

4a (y – 25) = (x – 0)2

4a (0 – 25) = (15 – 0)2

4a (–25) = 225

4a = –225/25 = –9

a = –9/4

 A radio telescope has a parabolic dish with a diameter of 100

meters. The collected radio signals are reflected to one collection
point, called the "focal" point, being the focus of the parabola. If
the focal length is 45 meters, find the depth of the dish, rounded
to one decimal place.

To simplify my computations, I'll put the vertex of my parabola

(that is, the base of the dish) at the origin, so (h, k) = (0, 0). Since
the focal length is 45, then p = 45 and the equation is:

4py = x2 
4(45)y = x2 
180y = x2

This parabola extends forever in either direction, but I only care

about the part of the curve that models the dish. Since the dish
has a diameter of a hundred meters, then I only care about the
part of the curve from x = –50 to x = +50.

The height of the edge of the dish (and thus the depth of the dish)
will be the y-value of the equation at the "ends" of the modelling
curve. The height of the parabola will be the same at either x-
value, since they're each the same distance from the vertex, so it
doesn't matter which value I use. I prefer positive values, so I'll
plug x = 50 into my modelling equation:

180y =(50)2 
180y =2500 
y = 250/18

Ellipse
 An ellipse is the set of points such that the sum of the distances from
any point on the ellipse to two other fixed points is constant. The two
fixed points are called the foci (plural of focus) of the ellipse.
 The standard equation of an ellipse with a horizontal major axis is the
following:¿ ¿. The center is at (h, k). The length of the major axis is 2a,
and the length of the minor axis is 2b. The distance between the center
and either focus is c, where c2 = a2 - b2
 The standard equation of an ellipse with a vertical major axis is the
following:¿ ¿. The center is at (h, k). The length of the major axis is 2a,
 and the length of the minor axis is 2b. The distance between the center
and either focus is c, where c2 = a2 - b2.
 The eccentricity of an ellipse is e = . For any ellipse, 0 < e < 1.
 Examples:
 Satellites can be put into elliptical orbits if they need only
sometimes to be in high- or low-earth orbit, thus avoiding the
need for propulsion and navigation in low-earth orbit and the
expense of launching into high-earth orbit. Suppose a satellite is
in an elliptical orbit, with a = 4420 and b = 4416, and with the
center of the Earth being at one of the foci of the ellipse. Assuming
the Earth has a radius of about 3960 miles, find the lowest and
highest altitudes of the satellite above the Earth.

The lowest altitude will be at the vertex closer to the Earth; the
highest altitude will be at the other vertex. Since I need to
measure these altitudes from the focus, I need to find the value of
c.

b2 = a2 – c2
c2 = a2 – b2 = 44202 – 44162 = 35,344

Then c = 188. If I set the center of my ellipse at the origin and

make this a wider-than-tall ellipse, then I can put the Earth's
center at the point (188, 0).

The vertex closer to the end of the ellipse containing the Earth's
center will be at 4420 units from the ellipse's center, or 4420 –
188 = 4232 units from the center of the Earth. Since the Earth's
radius is 3960 units, then the altitude is 4232 – 3960 = 272. The
other vertex is 4420 + 188 = 4608 units from the Earth's center,
giving me an altitude of 4608 – 3960 = 648 units.

Hyperbola
 A hyperbola is the set of all points such that the difference of the
distances between any point on the hyperbola and two fixed points is
constant. The two fixed points are called the foci of the hyperbola.
 The graph of a hyperbola is not continuous--every hyperbola has two
distinct branches. The line segment containing both foci of a hyperbola
whose endpoints are both on the hyperbola is called the transverse axis.
The endpoints of the transverse axis are called the vertices of the
hyperbola. The point halfway between the foci (the midpoint of the
transverse axis) is the center.
 The standard equation for a hyperbola with a horizontal transverse axis
is ¿ ¿. The center is at (h, k). The distance between the vertices is 2a. The
distance between the foci is 2c. c2 = a2 + b2. The line segment of
length 2b perpendicular to the transverse axis whose midpoint is the
center is the conjugate axis of the hyperbola.
 The standard equation for a hyperbola with a vertical transverse axis is¿ ¿
. The center is at (h, k). The distance between the vertices is 2a. The
distance between the foci is 2c. c2 = a2 + b2.
 Every hyperbola has two asymptotes. A hyperbola with a horizontal
transverse axis and center at (h, k) has one asymptote with
+b −b
equation y = k   (x - h) and the other with equation y = k   (x - h). A
a a
 hyperbola with a vertical transverse axis and center at (h, k) has one
+b
asymptote with equation y = k    (x - h) and the other with
a
−b
equation y = k   (x - h).
a
 Examples:
 Write the equation of a hyperbola with the x axis as its transverse
axis, point (3, 1) lies on the graph of this hyperbola and point (4,
2) lies on the asymptote of this hyperbola.

The equation of the hyperbola has the form: x 2 / a 2 - y 2 / b 2 = 1 
Use point (3, 1) to write: 3 2 / a 2 - 1 2 / b 2 = 1 
The asymptote has the form: y = + or - (b/a)x, using the point (4,2)
that lies on the asymptote we write: b / a = 2/4 = 1/2 or 4 b 2 = a 2
Solve the two equations to find: a 2 = 5 and b 2 = 5/4 
The equation of the hyperbola has the form: x 2 / 5 - y 2 / (5/4) = 1

 Write the equation of a hyperbola with foci at (-1, 0) and (1, 0) and
one of its asymptotes passes through the point (1, 3).

Since the foci are at (-1,0) and (1,0), the transverse axis of the
hyperbola is the x axis, the center is at (0,0) and the equation of
the hyperbola has the form x 2 / a 2 - y 2 / b 2 = 1 with c 2= 1 2 =
a 2 + b 2
The asymptote is given by y = (b/a)x, hence a/b = 3/1 = 3 which
gives a 2 = 9 b 2. 
Solve both equations: 1 = a 2 + b 2 and a 2 = 9 b 2. 
Solve to find: b 2 = 1/10 and a 2 = 9/10 
The equation of the hyperbola is given by: (10/9) x 2 / - 10 y 2 /
b 2 = 1
Systems of non-linear equations
 A system of nonlinear equations is a system of two or more equations in
two or more variables containing at least one equation that is not linear.
Recall that a linear equation can take the form Ax + By + C = 0 Ax + By +
C = 0. Any equation that cannot be written in this form is nonlinear.
 Example:
 Solve the system of nonlinear equations

Observe that the first equation is of a circle centered at (-2, 2) with

a radius of 1. The second equation is a parabola in standard form
with vertex at (-2, 3). We expect that the solution to this system of
nonlinear equations is the points of intersections of the given
circle and parabola.
Using the Substitution Method:
It would be tempting to just substitute the value of y of the bottom
equation to the top equation. You may try it. But you
should immediately realize that it makes the problem more
complicated to work on. There’s a better way though.
Isolate the term (x + 2)2 of the second equation, and plug into the
first equation.
Next, substitute this into the second equation which gives us an
equation with single variable just in y.

Setting each factor equal to zero, and solving for y we get…

Now, we want to find the corresponding values of x when y = 2

and y = 3. I will use the equation of a circle to do just that.
If y = 2, solve for x

Answer: (–1, 2) and (–3, 2)

If y = 3, solve for x
Answer: (–2, 3)
It looks like the parabola and circle intersect at three points which
are (–1, 2), (–3, 2) and (–2, 3).

Using the Elimination Method:

To solve by elimination method, keep all the terms with x and y on
the left side, and move the constant to the right. Make sure that
you align similar terms. In this case, only the terms with (x + 2)2 
and the constants should have similar terms.
Then subtract the top equation by the bottom equation. Don’t
forget to switch the signs when you subtract, i.e. positive turns
into negative, and vice versa. The term (x + 2)2 should be
eliminated after subtraction.

Since the (x + 2)2 term is gone, we are left with a simple quadratic

equation with variable y only then can be solved using factoring.
Start by expanding the binomial term, combine like terms, move
everything to the left, factor the resulting trinomial and set each
factor equal to zero to solve for y.
Setting each factor equal to zero, and solving for y we get…

Notice that we arrived at the same values of y using substitution

method as shown above. From this point, the solution is now the
same as shown above that’s why I will not show the rest of it.
The solution consists of the points of intersections: (–1, 2), (–3,
2) and (–2, 3).