Conic Sections

A conic section is formed by intersecting a plane and a cone. Use the sliders to move the plane. Note that s is the slope of the plane and t is the z-intercept of the plane. As you move the sliders, observe the different types of conic sections in the window on the right and consider the following questions:

What are the possible conic sections? What is the relationship between the angle of the plane and the different conic sections?