RWA #1: Unit M Concept 5: Ellipses

1. Definition: the set of all points such that the sum of the distance from 2 points, known as the foci, is a constant.
2. Properties: The equation of an ellipse looks like this and it has a bit more information below:

To describe it graphically, an ellipse has a sort of oval type shape and it can either be skinny or a fat one. The ellipse has a major and a minor axis, followed by a center and then there is also a foci of which lies inside within the ellipse. The following image shows an example of a horizontal and vertical ellipse:

  

For more information on ellipses go to:   http://www.purplemath.com/modules/ellipse.htm

 All of the features of an ellipse involve the center of which is made up of (h,k) and then finding the vertices and the co-vertices. Now, to do so you take the square root of the value of a and then adding or subtracting it to the h or k depending on whether it's major axis is vertical or horizontal. The co-vertices you can find likewise just that you would use b and then add or subtract. The foci comes in next and it dictates where the foci is going to be and it tells whether the ellipse will be horizontal or vertical. Lastly, for the eccentricity of the ellipse, it will always be greater than 0 but less than one. Below will be a video of which will tell how you can solve an ellipse and it contains extra help on the graphing as well:

3. The Real World Application: 
The solar system is an example of ellipses. They discovered that the planets travel around the sun from one of its foci. To see the example and actually view and have this real world application explained then view the video below.



4. The Works Cited
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48tXquj94w8

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/ellipse.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xSgKqTxZbg

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