Conics (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter P.T.F.E
- Start date
gurmies
Drover
The locus is an ellipse. The sum of the distances from a variable point to the foci produces a constant (one definition of an ellipse)
PS + PS' = 2a, where a = 5 in this case.
ae = 3
e = 3/5
b^2 = a^2(1-e^2),
b^2 = 16
x^2/25 + y^2/16 = 1 is the cartesian equation of the ellipse
Alternatively if you didn't know what the locus was by inspection, let z = x + iy and see what you come up with.
PS + PS' = 2a, where a = 5 in this case.
ae = 3
e = 3/5
b^2 = a^2(1-e^2),
b^2 = 16
x^2/25 + y^2/16 = 1 is the cartesian equation of the ellipse
Alternatively if you didn't know what the locus was by inspection, let z = x + iy and see what you come up with.
GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Active Member
^^ advisable to memorise this one as letting z = x + iy leads to much unwanted algebraic manipulation =[[[ LOL
gurmies
Drover
Yah, I shat brix when I tried to let z = x + iy the very first time I saw this question xD
GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Active Member
my friend shat BOULDERS when he tried it in half yearly exam xD