SOLUTION: When you have an equation and you have to graph it and determine if it is a ellipse, circle, parabola, or hyperbola, how do u know?

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Question 757462: When you have an equation and you have to graph it and determine if it is a ellipse, circle, parabola, or hyperbola, how do u know?
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, sachi:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39620) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Having the equation, you convert it into standard form and the form itself tells you which conic section is the equation. Sometimes, one of the necessary techniques is Completing the Square for one or both of the variables.

Answer by sachi(548) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the eqn is to be rearranged in the standard form then it will be easy to classify
the standard form of the eqns are
for circle (x-a)^2+(y-b)^2=r^2
for ellipse x^2/a^2+y^2/b^2=1
for hyperabola x^2/a^2-y^2/b^2=1
for perabola y^2=4ax