document.write( "Question 308967: What type of graph does this equation represent? \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "x^2 + 4y^2 - 2y = 8\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #220908 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"x%5E2++%2B+4y%5E2+-+2y+=+8\" Start with the given equation.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y%5E2+-+%281%2F2%29y%29+=+8\" Factor a 4 from the last two terms on the left side.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y%5E2+-+%281%2F2%29y%2B1%2F16-1%2F16%29+=+8\" Now take half of \"1%2F2\" to get \"1%2F4\". Square it to get \"1%2F16\". Add AND subtract this value inside the parenthesis.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28%28y%5E2+-+%281%2F2%29y%2B1%2F16%29-1%2F16%29+=+8\" Group up the first three terms inside the parenthesis.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2-1%2F16%29+=+8\" Factor that inner group to get \"%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2-4%281%2F16%29+=+8\" Distribute.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2-4%2F16+=+8\" Multiply\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2-1%2F4=+8\" Reduce.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2=+8%2B1%2F4\" Add \"1%2F4\" to both sides.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2++%2B+4%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2=+33%2F4\" Combine like terms.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"4x%5E2++%2B+16%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2=+33\" Multiply EVERY term (outside the parenthesis) by the LCD 4 to clear out the fraction.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%284x%5E2++%2B+16%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2%29%2F33=+1\" Divide both sides by 33 (to make the right side equal to 1).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%284x%5E2%29%2F33++%2B+%2816%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2%29%2F33=+1\" Break up the fraction.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x%5E2%29%2F%2833%2F4%29++%2B+%28%28y-1%2F4%29%5E2%29%2F%2833%2F16%29=+1\" Rearrange the terms in the fractions.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Rewrite \"33%2F4\" as \"%28sqrt%2833%29%2F2%29%5E2\" and \"33%2F16\" as \"%28sqrt%2833%29%2F4%29%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Finally, write \"x%5E2\" as \"%28x-0%29%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It might be hard to notice, but the last equation above is in the form \"%28x-h%29%5E2%2Fa%5E2%2B%28y-k%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2=1\" which is an ellipse.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So is an ellipse\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This means that \"x%5E2++%2B+4y%5E2+-+2y+=+8\" is also an ellipse (since the two equations are equivalent)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This is a lot of work to determine the conic. An alternative is to use the following rule:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "For the general conic \"Ax%5E2%2BBxy%2BCy%5E2%2BDx%2BEy%2BF=0\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If \"B%5E2-4AC%3C0\", then the given conic above is an ellipse
\n" ); document.write( "Furthermore, if \"A=C\", and \"B=0\", then the conic is also a circle\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If \"B%5E2-4AC=0\", then the given conic above is a parabola\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If \"B%5E2-4AC%3E0\", then the given conic above is a hyperbola\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In our case, we have the conic \"x%5E2++%2B+4y%5E2+-+2y+=+8\" which means that \"A=1\", \"B=0\", \"C=4\", \"D=0\", \"E=-2\", and \"F=-8\" (subtract this from both sides). Plug these values into \"B%5E2-4AC\" to get \"0%5E2-4%281%29%284%29=-16\" which is indeed less than 0 meaning that it is an ellipse.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Personally, I recommend doing it the long way for a while at first so you get a feel of what you are doing. Once you understand what's going on, take the shortcut.
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