What Is the First Step in Writing the General Form of a Conic Section?

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To write the general form of a conic section with given foci and a y-intercept, the first step is to identify the type of conic section involved, such as a parabola, ellipse, or hyperbola. Understanding the specific formulas for each conic type is crucial, as they dictate the approach to take. Foci are always located within the vertices of the conic, which is an important consideration in the formulation. Once the correct equation is determined based on the conic type, the next steps can be taken to derive the general form. Proper identification and understanding of the conic section are essential for accurate representation.
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i need to write the general form of a conic setion with foci @ ( -2, -1 ) and ( 6 , -1 ) and a y-int of 1.75

what would b the first step
 
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Do you know the formulas for the different types of conic sections (ie parabola, ellipse, etc)? Go through them
 
well, first you need to know what you are working with if its a hyperbola you're going be using certain equation and its the same for ellipse or parabola. and you need to understand that foci are always located inside the Vertecies. so first step get the right equation and proceed from there.
 
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