• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

ellipse help (1 Viewer)

viraj30

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2011
Messages
182
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
can someone plz show me the working out of this question-

A perpendicular OP is drawn from the centre of the ellipse x^2/a^2 + y^2/b^2=1 to any tangent. Prove that the locus of P is (x^2 + y^2)^2= a^2.x^2 + b^2.y^2 ....

Help will be much appreciated!
 

BlueMP

New Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
1
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Assuming P lies on H


Origin: O(0,0)
Point P: P(x_1, y_1)


H: x^2/a^2 + y^2/b^2 = 1


OP is perpendicular to Tangent @ P
--> ie, (m_op).(m_tangent@P) = -1 <-- the condition required


m_op = (y_1-0)/(x_1-0) = y_1/x_1


m_tangent@P:


Differentiate H wrtx: (2x/a^2) + (2y/b^2)*dy/dx = 0 (implicit differentiation and chain rule)
Rearrange to find dy/dx: dy/dx = -b^2.x/a^2.y
Substitute P(x_1, y_1) to find gradient at P: m_tangent@P = -b^2.x_1/a^2.y_1


Now, continue with: (m_op).(m_tangent@P) = -1


(y_1/x_1)*(-b^2.x_1/a^2.y_1) = -1


Simplify --> b^2 = a^2


Consider the given Locus of P: (x^2+y^2)^2 = a^2.x^2 + b^2.y^2
Replacing b^2 with a^2 gives us: (x^2+y^2)^2 = a^2.x^2 + a^2.y^2
= a^2.(x^2+y^2)
Cancelling (x^2+y^2) on both sides: x^2 + y^2 = a^2 (x^2 +y^2 cannot = 0)
Which represents a circle with centre (0,0) and radius a units, or, if we replaced a^2 with b^2, a radius of b units


Point P lying on H now becomes H: x^2/a^2 + y^2/a^2 = 1 --> x^2 + y^2 = a^2


i.e. P lies on a circle with radius a units or radius b units
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top