What Curve Results from the Centers of Perpendicular Lines to an Ellipse?

  • Thread starter transgalactic
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In summary, the centers of the perpendicular lines to the X axes and the ellipse are the points where the ellipse's major and minor semi-axes intersect. This is where the ellipse's formula is found. By putting the Y^2 on the one side and on the other the rest, and deviding it by 2, the curve's formula can be found.
  • #1
transgalactic
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i added a file with the curve the is being asked to find

an ellipse is given. its formula is x^2 + 2*y^2=8 .

find the formula of the curve that is being created by the

the centers of the perpendicular lines to the X axes and the ellipse.


i tried to solve this question
by putting the Y^2 on the one side and on the other the rest
and devidind it by 2 .


2y^2=8-x^2
y^2=8-x^2/2
y=V(8-x^2/2)
(v=root simbol)

the curve that in the center always smaller in height by 2
so i devided the formula by 2 to find our curve

y=1/2*V(8-x^2/2)
in my book it gives a different answer

(x^2)/8 +y^2=1

please help
 

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  • #2
What do you mean by "the centers of the perpendicular lines to the X axes and the ellipse"?
 
  • #3
like it shows at the pictue
a curve which composed from the middle points of this straight lines
parrallel to the Y axes
 
  • #4
how can i solve this thing?
 
  • #5
[itex]x^2+ 2y^2= 8[/itex] is the same as [itex]\frac{x^2}{8}+ \frac{y^2}{4}= 1[/itex].
That's an ellipse with major semi-axis, along the x-axis, of length [itex]\sqrt{8}= 2\sqrt{2}[/itex] and minor semi-axis, along the y-axis, of length 2.

Dividing the y-coordinate of each point by 2 gives an ellipse with the same major semi-axis but minor semi-axis of length 1:
[itex]\frac{x^2}{8}+ y^2=1[/itex].
 
  • #6
transgalactic said:
i added a file with the curve the is being asked to find

an ellipse is given. its formula is x^2 + 2*y^2=8 .

find the formula of the curve that is being created by the

the centers of the perpendicular lines to the X axes and the ellipse.


i tried to solve this question
by putting the Y^2 on the one side and on the other the rest
and devidind it by 2 .


2y^2=8-x^2
y^2=8-x^2/2

Here's your error! Don't know why I didn't see this sooner. Dividing both sides of 2y2= 8- x2 by 2 gives y2= 4- x2!

y=V(8-x^2/2)
(v=root simbol)

the curve that in the center always smaller in height by 2
so i devided the formula by 2 to find our curve

y=1/2*V(8-x^2/2)
[itex]y= 1/2 \sqrt{4- x^2}[/itex]

in my book it gives a different answer

(x^2)/8 +y^2=1

please help

Square both sides of [itex]2y= \sqrt{4- x^2}[/itex] and you get
[itex]4y^2= 4- x^2[/itex] or [itex]x^2+ 4y^2= 4[/itex].

Divide through by 4:
[tex]\frac{x^2}{4}+ y^2= 1[/itex]
 
  • #7
thank you very much
 
  • #8
Now, my question is, "what does this have to do with 'Tensor Analysis and Differential Geometry'?"
 

1. What is an ellipse?

An ellipse is a type of geometric shape that resembles a flattened circle. It is defined as a set of points in a plane such that the sum of the distances from any point on the curve to two fixed points (called the foci) is constant.

2. How is an ellipse different from a circle?

An ellipse is different from a circle in that it has two distinct foci, whereas a circle has only one center point. Also, all points on a circle are equidistant from the center, while points on an ellipse are not.

3. What are the key features of an ellipse?

The key features of an ellipse include its major and minor axes, which are the longest and shortest diameters of the ellipse, respectively. It also has a center point, two foci, and a perimeter known as the circumference.

4. How is an ellipse used in real life?

An ellipse has many practical applications, such as in astronomy to describe the orbits of planets around the sun. It is also used in engineering and architecture for designing curved structures, and in art as a design element.

5. What is the equation for an ellipse?

The standard form equation for an ellipse is (x-h)^2/a^2 + (y-k)^2/b^2 = 1, where (h,k) is the center point, a is the length of the semi-major axis, and b is the length of the semi-minor axis. This equation can be modified for ellipses with different orientations or centers.

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