SME
Grade 12 Math · Problem type
Conics as slices of a cone
Use this for “Why are circles, ellipses, parabolas and hyperbolas called conic sections?”
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A plane square to the cone’s axis cuts a circle.
Assumptions
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Two cones meet tip to tip, and a flat plane cuts through them.
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The plane’s tilt against the cone’s side decides which curve the cut makes.
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Related lessons
Conic sections: parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas
Main lesson
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Which conic is it?
Use this for “Which conic is 4x² − 9y² = 36?”