SOLUTION: write the equation of the ellipse in standard form having the given properties. center(4,6) vertex(9,6)(0,8) is on the ellipse

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Question 117294: write the equation of the ellipse in standard form having the given properties.
center(4,6) vertex(9,6)(0,8) is on the ellipse

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
write the equation of the ellipse in standard form having the given properties.
center(4,6) vertex(9,6)(0,8) is on the ellipse

Plot those points



Sketch in the ellipse approximately:



Since the ellipse is wider than it is tall, it has the 
standard equation

%28x-h%29%5E2%2Fa%5E2%2B%28y-k%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

And since the center is (h,k) = (4,6), we have

%28x-4%29%5E2%2Fa%5E2%2B%28y-6%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

Now we draw in the semi-major axis, which connects the
center to the vertex:



We can observe that the semi-major axis is 5 units long, so
we know that a = 5, so we can substitute that and our
equation so far is:

%28x-4%29%5E2%2F5%5E2%2B%28y-6%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

or

%28x-4%29%5E2%2F25%2B%28y-6%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

Now since we know that the ellipse contains the point
(x,y) = (0,8), we substitute

%280-4%29%5E2%2F25%2B%288-6%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

16%2F25+%2B+2%5E2%2Fb%5E2 = 1

16%2F25+%2B+4%2Fb%5E2 = 1

Clear of fractions by multiplying through by LCD = 25b%5E2

16b%5E2+%2B+100+=+25b%5E2

100+=+9b%5E2

100%2F9+=+b%5E2

10%2F3+=+b

Since b is the length of the semi-minor axis,
we can now draw in the semi-minor axis 10/3 or
31%2F3 units long, which goes from the 
center up to the ellipse:



To draw the ellipse more accurately we can now sketch
in the complete major and minor axes:



To finish the equation, we substitute 100%2F9 for b%5E2

%28x-4%29%5E2%2F25%2B%28y-6%29%5E2%2F%28100%2F9%29 = 1 

and that is the desired equation in standard form.

Edwin