Classifying Conic Sections Notes
Conics in General Form
Ax2 + Bx2 + Dx + Ey + F
Rules to Remember:
- A and B cannot both equal zero - this would be the equation of a line
- if A = B, the conic is a circle
- if A or B = 0, the conic is a parabola
- if A is not equal to B and AB > 0, the conic is an ellipse
- if AB < 0, the conic is a hyperbola
Relationships in Conic Sections
- Conic sections can be seen as "slices" of two inverted cones. The shapes created by these "slices" are the same as the shapes which you will graph using equations.
- The physical differences between sections are reflected in the equations of the sections.