Ellipses
MathDefinition
An ellipse is an oval-shaped conic section defined as the set of all points where the sum of distances to two fixed points (foci) is constant. It has a major axis (longest diameter) and a minor axis (shortest diameter).
Examples
- Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus
- A whispering gallery uses the reflective property of ellipses
- Satellites often follow elliptical orbits
Key Fact
Standard form: (x-h)²/a² + (y-k)²/b² = 1; c² = a² - b² (where c = distance from center to focus)
Study This Concept
Practice ellipses with free review games in these units: