Ellipse
Chapter Name : Conic Section |
Sub Topic Code : 104_11_11_05_05 |
Topic Name : Ellipse |
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Sub Topic Name : Latus Rectum |
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Introduction
Among the several chords of an ellipse that passes through any of the foci, the one that is perpendicular to the major axis is known as Latus Rectum. Its length is 2b2/a for the case of ellipse.
Pre-Requisites:
Linear Equation, Quadratic Equation, Basic coordinate geometry, Equation of line
Real Life Question:
Like parabola, does ellipse also has latus rectum?
Key Words / FlashCards
| Key Words | Definitions (pref. in our own words) |
|---|---|
| Ellipse | Ellipse is the set of all points in a plane, the sum of whose distances from two fixed points in the plane is a constant. |
| Focus | The fixed points are known as foci (plural of focus). |
| Latus Rectum | Latus rectum of an ellipse is a line segment perpendicular to the major axis through any of the foci and whose end points lie on the ellipse. |
Learning aids / Gadgets
| Gadgets | How it can be used |
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Real life uses :
If you know the equation of Latus Rectum of an ellipse then you can find the slope of major axis and if you know the center of ellipse too, then you can easily find the equation of major axis.
Practical examples around us
| Examples | Explainations |
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What you learn in Theory:
• What is Latus Rectum? • What is its length? • How Latus Rectum and major axis are related?