Mathematics

Conic Sections

285 Questions

Conic sections deal with the geometry of curves like ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas formed by the intersection of a plane with a cone. This is an important topic in advanced mathematics sections of competitive exams. Practice these questions to understand eccentricity, focal distances, and equations of tangents and normals.

Ellipse equationsHyperbola eccentricityFocal distance calculationsTangent and normal equationsConic standard forms

Conic Sections Questions

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles
  1. 4/3

  2. 8/3

  3. 7/3

  4. 5/3

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

For an ellipse with eccentricity e=1/2, focus at origin, and directrix x=4, the semi-major axis a satisfies a = e * distance from center to directrix. The center is at (-4/3, 0), so the directrix is at x = 4 (a/e to the right of center), giving a/e + a*e = 4, or a*(1/(1/2) + 1/2) = 4. Solving: (2a + a/2) = 4, so 5a/2 = 4, and a = 8/3. The ellipse equation x²/(64/9) + y²/(16) = 1 confirms this.

Multiple choice conjugate hyperbola hyperbola conic section maths

Let $e$ be the eccentricity of a hyperbola $\dfrac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}-\dfrac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1$, and $f(e)$ be the eccentricity of hyperbola $-\dfrac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+\dfrac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1$, then $\displaystyle \int _{ 1 }^{ 3 } \underbrace { fff.....f\left( e \right)  } _{ n\quad times } de$ is equal to

  1. $2$, if $n$ is even
  2. $4$, if $n$ is even
  3. $2\sqrt{2}$, if $n$ is odd
  4. $4\sqrt{2}$, if $n$ odd
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The eccentricity of a hyperbola and its conjugate are related by 1/e^2 + 1/e'^2 = 1. Applying the function f(e) repeatedly toggles between the two eccentricities. The integral of the constant values over the interval [1, 3] yields the result.

Multiple choice conjugate hyperbola hyperbola conic section maths

$e _{1}$ and $e _{2}$ are respectively the eccentricities of a hyperbola and its conjugate then  $\dfrac{1}{e^{2} _{1}}$+$\dfrac{1}{e^{2} _{2}}$=1.

  1. True

  2. False

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Let $ \dfrac{x^2}{a^2}-\dfrac{y^2}{b^2}=1$     $.......(1)$
And 
$\dfrac{y^2}{b^2}-\dfrac{x^2}{a^2}=1$     $.........(2)$ are two hyperbola conjugate to each other.

Also let, $e _1$ and $e _2$ are the eccentricities of $(1)$ and $(2)$ respectively.
Then, 
$e _1^2=1+\dfrac{b^2}{a^2}$ and $e _2^2=1+\dfrac{a^2}{b^2}$

Therefore,
$\Rightarrow \dfrac{1}{e _1^2}+\dfrac{1}{e _2^2}$

$\Rightarrow \dfrac{1}{1+\dfrac{b^2}{a^2}}+\dfrac{1}{1+\dfrac{a^2}{b^2}}$

$\Rightarrow \dfrac{a^2}{a^2+b^2}+\dfrac{b^2}{a^2+b^2}$

$\Rightarrow \dfrac{a^2+b^2}{a^2+b^2}$

$\Rightarrow 1$

Hence, proved.

Multiple choice conjugate hyperbola hyperbola conic section maths

The eccentricity of the hyperbola length of whose conjugate axis is equal to half of the distance betweet the foci is 

  1. $\dfrac{4}{\sqrt{3}}$
  2. $\dfrac{4}{3}$
  3. $\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{3}}$
  4. $\sqrt{3}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice maths sets, relations and functions graphs of the form y=ax^2+bx+c some more types of functions functions and their graphs

If the line $3x+4y=\sqrt{7}$ touches the ellipse $3x^{2}+4y^{2}=1$, then the point of contact is 

  1. $(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{7}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{7}})$
  2. $(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{3}},-\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{3}})$
  3. $(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{7}},-\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{7}})$
  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

$\begin{array}{l} 3{ x^{ 2 } }+4{ y^{ 2 } }=1 \ Equation\, of\, \tan  gent\, to\, ellipse\, at\, \left( { { x _{ 1 } },{ y _{ 1 } } } \right)  \ 3x{ x _{ 1 } }+4y{ y _{ 1 } }=1 \ \frac { { 3x } }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } } +\frac { { 4y } }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } } =1 \ { x _{ 1 } }=\frac { 1 }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } } \, \, \, \, \, { y _{ 1 } }=\frac { 1 }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } }  \ \left( { \frac { 1 }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } } ,\frac { 1 }{ { \sqrt { 7 }  } }  } \right)  \ Hence, \ option\, \, A\, is\, correct\, answer. \end{array}$

Multiple choice mathematics and statistics coordinates, points and lines what is meant by the equation of a straight line or of a curve introduction to slope introduction to straight lines

A circle of radius 2 is concentric with ellipse $\frac{x^{2}}{7}+\frac{y^{2}}{3}=1$ then inclination of common tangent with x-axis - 

  1. $\frac{\pi }{2}$
  2. $\frac{\pi }{4}$
  3. $\frac{\pi }{3}$
  4. $\frac{\pi }{6}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

For an ellipse x^2/a^2 + y^2/b^2 = 1, the tangent with slope m is y = mx +/- sqrt(a^2m^2 + b^2). For a concentric circle x^2 + y^2 = r^2, the tangent is y = mx +/- r*sqrt(1+m^2). Equating these leads to the vertical tangent case.

Multiple choice normal to a hyperaboal tangent and normal to a hyperbola hyperbola two dimensional analytical geometry-ii maths

The normal at P to a hyperbola of eccentricity e, intersects its transverse and conjugate axes at L and M respectively. If locus of the mid-point of LM is a hyperbola, then eccentricity of the hyperbola is

  1. $\displaystyle \frac{e + 1}{e-1}$
  2. $\displaystyle \frac{e}{\sqrt{e^2 - 1}}$
  3. $e$
  4. none of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The equation of the normal at $P\left( a\sec { \theta  } ,b\tan {

\theta  }  \right) $ to the hyperbola $\cfrac { { x }^{ 2 } }{ { a

}^{2 } } -\cfrac { { y }^{ 2 } }{ { b }^{ 2 } } =1$ is
$ax\cos { \theta  } +by\cot { \theta  } ={ a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 }$
This intersects the transverse and conjugate axes at $ L\left( \cfrac { {

a}^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }{ a } \sec { \theta  } ,0 \right) $ and

$M\left(0,\cfrac { { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }{ { b }^{  } } \tan {

\theta  }  \right) $ respectively
Let $N(h,k)$. then $h=\cfrac { { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }{ b } \sec { \theta  } $ and
$k=\cfrac { { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }{ { b }^{  } } \tan { \theta  } $
$\Rightarrow

\sec { \theta  } =\cfrac { 2ah }{ { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } } \quad

,\quad \tan { \theta  } =\cfrac { 2bk }{ { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }

\quad$
$\therefore \sec ^{ 2 }{ \theta  } -\tan ^{ 2 }{ \theta  }

=1\quad \Rightarrow 4{ a }^{ 2 }{ h }^{ 2 }-4{ b }^{ 2 }{ k }^{ 2 }={

\left( { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } \right)  }^{ 2 }$
Thus the locus of

$(h,k)$ is $\Rightarrow 4{ a }^{ 2 }{ x }^{ 2 }-4{ b }^{ 2 }{ y }^{

2}={ \left( { a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } \right)  }^{ 2 }\quad $
Let ${ e } _{ 1 }$ be the eccentricity of this hyperbola. Then
${{

e } _{ 1 } }^{ 2 }=1+\cfrac { { a }^{ 2 } }{ { b }^{ 2 } } =\cfrac { {a

}^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 } }{ { b }^{ 2 } } =\cfrac { { a }^{ 2 }{ e }^{ 2 }}{ {

a }^{ 2 }({ e }^{ 2 }-1) } $
$\Rightarrow { e } _{ 1 }=\displaystyle \frac { e }{ \sqrt { { e }^{ 2 }-1 }  } $

Multiple choice normal to a hyperaboal tangent and normal to a hyperbola hyperbola two dimensional analytical geometry-ii maths

If e and e' be the eccentricities of a hyperbola and its conjugate, then $\displaystyle \dfrac{1}{e^2} + \dfrac{1}{e'^2} $ is equal to

  1. 0

  2. 1

  3. 2

  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Suppose $\displaystyle \dfrac{x^2}{a^2} - \dfrac{y^2}{b^2} = 1$ be a hyperbola and let $\displaystyle \dfrac{x^2}{a^2} - \frac{y^2}{b^2} = - 1$ be its conjugate.
Then their eccentricities are given by $e^2 = \displaystyle \dfrac{a^2 + b^2}{a^2}$ and $\displaystyle e'^2 = \frac{a^2 + b^2}{b^2}$ respectively.
$\therefore \displaystyle \dfrac{1}{e^2} + \dfrac{1}{e'^2} = \dfrac{a^2}{a^2 + b^2} + \dfrac{b^2}{a^2 + b^2} = 1$

Multiple choice maths ellipse special cases of an ellipse eccentricity equation of ellipse

If circle whose diameter is major axis of ellipse $\frac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+\frac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1(a>b>0)$ meets minor axis at point P and orthocentre of $\Delta PF _{1}F _{2}$ lies on ellipse where $F _{1}$  and $F _{2}$ are foci of ellipse, then square of eccentricity of ellipse, is 

  1. $2 sin\frac{\pi }{10}$
  2. $2 sin\frac{\pi }{12}$
  3. $2 sin\frac{\pi }{4}$
  4. $2 sin\frac{\pi }{2}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The problem involves geometric properties of an ellipse. Solving for the orthocenter condition leads to the relation involving the eccentricity squared.

Multiple choice maths ellipse special cases of an ellipse eccentricity equation of ellipse

An ellipse has foci (3, 1), (1, 1) and it passes through point (1, 3). Its eccentricity is equal to 

  1. $\sqrt { 2 } -1$
  2. $\sqrt { 3 } -1$
  3. $\cfrac { 1 }{ 2 } $
  4. $\cfrac { 1 }{ 3 } $
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Given foci (3,1) and (1,1), the center is (2,1) and 2ae = 2, so ae = 1. Using the point (1,3), the sum of distances to the foci equals 2a.