SOLUTION: What is the equation of the ellipse having major axis of length 12, center at (-2,-9), and a focus at (3,-9)?

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Question 1186881: What is the equation of the ellipse having major axis of length 12, center at
(-2,-9), and a focus at (3,-9)?

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Instead of doing yours for you, I'll do one exactly like yours step by step, so
you can use it as a model to do yours by.  Here is the problem I will do.
Just use your numbers instead of the ones here:

What is the equation of the ellipse having major axis of length 16, center at
(-3,-8), and a focus at (4,-8)?



The equation of an ellipse with major axis horizontal is

%28x-h%29%5E2%2Fa%5E2%22%22%2B%22%22%28y-k%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2%22%22=%22%221

where the center is (h,k) = (-3,-8), and where "a" = semi-major axis length.
The major axis is 16, so the semi-major axis = 8. So far we have

%28x-%28-3%29%29%5E2%2F%288%29%5E2%22%22%2B%22%22%28y-%28-8%29%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2%22%22=%22%221

%28x%2B3%29%5E2%2F64%22%22%2B%22%22%28y%2B8%29%5E2%2Fb%5E2%22%22=%22%221

We need "b", which is the semi-minor axis length.  We have to use the
Pythagorean theorem relationship for all ellipses, which is

c%5E2%22%22=%22%22a%5E2%22%22-%22%22b%5E2

where c = distance from center to a focus.  The distance from the center (-3,-8)
to the focus, which is (4,-8) is 7 units, found by counting units on the graph
above.  So b = 7, and the complete equation of the ellipse is

%28x%2B3%29%5E2%2F64%22%22%2B%22%22%28y%2B8%29%5E2%2F7%5E2%22%22=%22%221

%28x%2B3%29%5E2%2F36%22%22%2B%22%22%28y%2B8%29%5E2%2F49%22%22=%22%221

Now do yours exactly, step by step, like this one.

Edwin