Angle of Ellipse? What is the angle of an ellipse and how can it be calculated?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter optics.tech
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Angle Ellipse
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the angle of an ellipse and finding its center within a quadrilateral. The term "True Anomaly" is introduced as the angle between two lines from a focus to the periapse and a point on the ellipse. The conversation also highlights that the center of an ellipse coincides with the center of a rectangle if their axes align. However, constructing an ellipse tangent to all four sides of a quadrilateral is not always feasible, especially without specific characteristics of the quadrilateral provided.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of ellipse properties and equations
  • Familiarity with quadrilaterals and their characteristics
  • Knowledge of Cartesian coordinates
  • Basic calculus concepts related to tangents and angles
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties of ellipses and their equations
  • Learn about the construction of ellipses tangent to quadrilaterals
  • Study the concept of True Anomaly in celestial mechanics
  • Explore methods for finding centers of various quadrilaterals
USEFUL FOR

Mathematicians, geometry enthusiasts, and students studying calculus or conic sections who are interested in the properties and calculations related to ellipses and quadrilaterals.

optics.tech
Messages
79
Reaction score
1
Hi everyone,

As I wasn't able to find it within my calculus book, can someone master here please tell me is there any way to find the angle of ellipse?

Thank you

Huygen
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
optics.tech said:
Hi everyone,

As I wasn't able to find it within my calculus book, can someone master here please tell me is there any way to find the angle of ellipse?

Thank you

Huygen

What does that mean to you, "the angle of an ellipse" ? Your question is too vague to answer.

If you mean the tangent at any point on the ellipse, then that's trivial.
 
What information do you have about the ellipse? Maybe you have its equation and you want to know the angle of the axis?
 
Generally, the "zero degree" point on an ellipse is taken as the periapse, which is the point on the ellipse closest to one of the two focus points. The angular position is then generally referred to as the "True Anomaly", which is the angle between two lines, the first being from the focus to the periapse; the second being from that same focus to the point on the ellipse in question.

hth
 
Forget my previous question.

Now, I would like to ask again, if possible, can someone here please tell me how to find the center of ellipse in a given quadrilateral, which the ellipse is lying inside the quadrilateral and tangent to the four sides of the quadrilateral?
 
optics.tech said:
Forget my previous question.

Now, I would like to ask again, if possible, can someone here please tell me how to find the center of ellipse in a given quadrilateral, which the ellipse is lying inside the quadrilateral and tangent to the four sides of the quadrilateral?

You have to specify exactly the characteristics of the quadrilateral. For example if the ellipse is inside a rectangle AND their axes coincide, then they have the same center.
 
You have to specify exactly the characteristics of the quadrilateral. For example if the ellipse is inside a rectangle AND their axes coincide, then they have the same center.

What about this (please see attached image)?

This ellipse looks tangent to all of the three triangle edges, but it seems the ellipse center and the triangle center is not coinciding?
 

Attachments

  • triangle.PNG
    triangle.PNG
    7.7 KB · Views: 622
optics.tech said:
What about this (please see attached image)?

This ellipse looks tangent to all of the three triangle edges, but it seems the ellipse center and the triangle center is not coinciding?
He said "rectangle", not "triangle".

As to your original question, I don't have an answer, but I'll point out that it is not always possible to construct an ellipse tangent to all four sides of a quadrilateral.
 
optics.tech said:
What about this (please see attached image)?

This ellipse looks tangent to all of the three triangle edges, but it seems the ellipse center and the triangle center is not coinciding?

Fellow, you are really not doing well here. First you post a question with insufficient information for there to be an answer then you abandon it. Then you post a question about quadrilaters but don't specify ANY of their characteristics, then you respond to my quadrilateral answer with a question that is NOT even a quatrilateral, it a tri-lateral (more commonly called a triangle).

Try asking a meaningful question with enough information for there to be a meaningful answer and perhaps someone will be able to help you. I'm not going to try any further.
 
  • #10
Fellow, you are really not doing well here. First you post a question with insufficient information for there to be an answer then you abandon it. Then you post a question about quadrilaters but don't specify ANY of their characteristics, then you respond to my quadrilateral answer with a question that is NOT even a quatrilateral, it a tri-lateral (more commonly called a triangle).

Try asking a meaningful question with enough information for there to be a meaningful answer and perhaps someone will be able to help you. I'm not going to try any further.

I am sorry...

Why I replace the quadrilateral with the triangle in my previous question is, because I can not find the center of the quadrilateral by drawing compared to the regular rectangle which is relative simple to find its center by drawing.

Also, what properties of the quadrilateral or tri-lateral is required?
 
  • #11
optics.tech said:
Also, what properties of the quadrilateral or tri-lateral is required?
Well, for instance, if you could give the coordinates of all four vertices that should be enough information to uniquely determine the answer (if there is one). However, this is an unusual enough question that I doubt anyone will know the answer off the top of their heads. It also looks to me like it would take a fair amount of work to solve. So, you may be stuck with figuring it out yourself.

May I ask why you need to know this? Do you need the answer for a completely general tetralateral? If, for instance, you were really only interested in trapezoids, it would become a lot easier.
 
  • #12
Well, for instance, if you could give the coordinates of all four vertices that should be enough information to uniquely determine the answer (if there is one). However, this is an unusual enough question that I doubt anyone will know the answer off the top of their heads. It also looks to me like it would take a fair amount of work to solve. So, you may be stuck with figuring it out yourself.

May I ask why you need to know this? Do you need the answer for a completely general tetralateral? If, for instance, you were really only interested in trapezoids, it would become a lot easier.

OK, let the four cartesian point of the vertex of the quadrilateral be A(0,0), B(2,0), C(2,1), D(-1,2).

How can I find the center point of an ellipse and plot it inside above quadrilateral which tangent to the four edge of it (the quadrilateral)?
 
  • #13
optics.tech said:
OK, let the four cartesian point of the vertex of the quadrilateral be A(0,0), B(2,0), C(2,1), D(-1,2).

How can I find the center point of an ellipse and plot it inside above quadrilateral which tangent to the four edge of it (the quadrilateral)?
May I ask why you need to know this? Do you need the answer for a completely general tetralateral? If, for instance, you were really only interested in trapezoids, it would become a lot easier.
 
  • #14
May I ask why you need to know this?

I would like to know more about an ellipse property.

Do you need the answer for a completely general tetralateral?

Does tetralateral is similar with quadrilateral, more or less?

If yes, then the answer is yes.

If, for instance, you were really only interested in trapezoids, it would become a lot easier.

Very well then, trapezoid is OK.

Just use the property (cartesian point) I post on my previous answer.
 
  • #15
optics.tech said:
I would like to know more about an ellipse property.
So, just curiosity? In that case, I think you'll get more out of it if you figure it out yourself.

You do realize, as I mentioned earlier, that answering your question would be a great deal of work for someone? It seems most appropriate that the someone be you.

Does tetralateral is similar with quadrilateral, more or less?
Yes -- sorry. That's what I meant.

Very well then, trapezoid is OK.

Just use the property (cartesian point) I post on my previous answer.
The points in your previous post do not describe a trapezoid.
 
  • #16
The points in your previous post do not describe a trapezoid.

OK, let the cartesian point of the trapezoid be A(0,0), B(3,0), C(3,1), D(1,1).
 
  • #17
Good. You have a way to unambiguously define a quadrilateral, and you have chosen one. Next question I would ask: how do you define a specific ellipse?
 
  • #18
Good. You have a way to unambiguously define a quadrilateral, and you have chosen one.

OK.

Next question I would ask: how do you define a specific ellipse?

What do you ask me back as I ask it in this discussion?

I don't know.
 
  • #19
optics.tech said:
What do you ask me back as I ask it in this discussion?
I already explained why. You are asking for a whole lot of work to be done. You have given no reason for anyone to do this work, except to satisfy your curiosity. Therefore, it seems clear to me that YOU are the person who should be doing most of the work.

I don't know.
Well THINK about it, for Pete's sake. Have an idea or two!
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K