Exploring Ellipses
This worksheet introduces students to the properties of ellipses, including their definition, foci, major and minor axes, and how to sketch them.
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Exploring Ellipses
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Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. Show all your work for short answer questions.
1. What is the definition of an ellipse?
A set of all points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed point.
A set of all points in a plane such that the sum of the distances from two fixed points (foci) is constant.
A closed curve where every point is the same distance from the center.
A curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side.
2. The longest diameter of an ellipse is called the:
Minor axis
Focal length
Major axis
Eccentricity
3. An ellipse has two fixed points called .
4. The axis is perpendicular to the major axis and passes through the center of the ellipse.
5. Describe how to draw an ellipse using two pins, a string, and a pencil.
6. Observe the ellipse below. Label its major axis, minor axis, and foci.
7. All ellipses are circles.
True
False
8. The distance from the center to a focus is always greater than the distance from the center to a vertex along the minor axis.
True
False
Use the words below to complete the sentences.
9. The two fixed points inside an ellipse are called the .
10. The is the midpoint of both the major and minor axes.