QS025/DM035

CONICS

PAST YEARS’ QUESTIONS

Mid Semester Exam

1. Express the equation of the ellipse 4x2 + y2 – 8x + 4y + 4 = 0 in the standard form. Hence,
determine the coordinates of the centre and the vertices on the major axis. (2006/2007)

2. A Circle with centre (5, 8) touches the y-axis and passes through the point (2, y). Find the
general equations of the circle. Determine the possible values of y. (2006/2007)

3. Given the circle C1 : x2 + y2 – 10x + 18y + 70 = 0 and C2 : x2 + y2 – 6y – 7 = 0.

Find the centers and radius of both circles, and hence show that these two circles do not
touch each other. Determine the shortest distance between them. (2005/2006)

4. A circle with center (1, 5) touches the x-axis. Find the equation of this circle in a general
form. (2004/2005)

5. Find the equation of the parabola with focus (1, 2) and the directrix is the x- axis. Sketch the
graph of the parabola. (2004/2005)

6. Find the coordinate of vertices and foci of the following of conic section given
3(x + 4)2 + 4(y – 2)2 = 12 (2003/2004)

7. Find the coordinate of focus and directrix equation of parabola x2 = 6y. Hence sketch the
graph. (2002/2003)

8. Find the coordinate of vertices and foci of the following of conic section given 2x2 + 8y2 = 32
(2001/2002)

9. Express the equation of parabola y2 + 4y – 12x – 8 = 0 in the standard form. Hence,

determine the vertex and the focus of the parabola. (2007/2008)

10. A circle touches the line 5x + y = 3 at the point (2, 7) and its center lies on the line
x – 2y = 19. Find the point of intersection between the normal to the circle at (2, 7) and the
line x – 2y = 19. Hence, determine the center and the standard equation of the circle.
(2007/2008)

11. A circle passes through the point (5, 2) and touches the line y + x = 9 at the point (3, 6). Find
the coordinates of the center and the radius of the circle. Hence, state the standard equation of
the circle. (2008/2009)

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12. The equation of the circle P is given by x2 + y2 – 4x + 6y – 12 = 0.

(a) Find the coordinates of its center and radius.
(b) Find the perpendicular distance from the centre of P to the line 3x + 4y = k in terms of k,
where k is a constant.
(c) Hence, find the values of k such that the line 3x + 4y = k is a tangent to the circle.
(2009/2010)

13. The major vertices of an ellipse are (1, 2) and (9, 2). The distance between the two foci of
the ellipse is 8 units. Find the standard equation of the ellipse. (2010/2011)

ANSWERS

1. Centre : (1, 2) Vertices : (1, 0) and (1, 4)

2. x2 + y2 – 10x – 16y + 64 = 0 ; y = 4 or y = 12
3. C1(5, -9) r1 = 6 C2(0, 3) r2 = 4 d > r1r2 = 13 > 0
Shortest distance = 3 units
4. x2 + y2 + 2x – 10y + 1 = 0
y
5. (x + 1)2 = 4(y – 1)
F 2

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6. C(4, 2) V : (6, 2), (2, 2) F: (3, 2), (5, 2)
 
 4,2  3 ,  4, 2  3
 3 3
7. F:  0,  Directrix: y  
 2 2
 
8. V: (4, 0), (4, 0) F : 2 3, 0 ,  2 3 ,0 
(0, 2), (0, 2)
9. (y + 2)2 = 12(x + 1), V(1, 2), F(2, 2)
10. (7, 6), C(7, 6), (x – 7)2 + (y + 6)2 = 26
11. (2, 1), r = 7.071, (x + 2)2 + (y – 1)2 = 50
6k
12. a) C(2, 3), r = 5, b) c) k = 31, k = 19
5
13.
x  4 2   y  2 2  1
25 9

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Final Exam

1. Let L be a line passing through the centre of the circle x2 + y2 – 2x – 2y = 7 and perpendicular
to the line 3x + 4y = 7. Find
(a) the coordinates of the points of intersections of L and the circle.
(b) the equations of the tangents to the circle parallel to 3x + 4y = 7. (2006/2007)

2. Find an equation of circle passing through the origin and its centre is the focus of the
parabola x2 = 8y – 16. (2005/2006)

3. A straight line x – 2y = 0 intersects a circle x2 + y2 – 8x + 6y – 15 = 0 at the points P and Q.

Find the coordinate of P and Q. Hence, find the equation of the circle passing through P, Q
and the point (1, 1). (2003/2004)

4. A circle in the first quadrant touches the x-axis, the y-axis and the straight line
4x  3y  30 = 0. P (12, 6) is a point on the given straight line. Find
(a) the equation of the circle.
(b) the length of the tangent from the point P to the circle.
(c) the equation of the other tangent from the point P to the circle. (2002/2003)

5. Find the center, length of the major and minor axes for the ellipse 4x2 + 9y2 + 24x = 0. Hence
sketch the ellipse. (2002/2003)

6. Given circle B1 : x2 + y2 – 2x – 2y = 0. Find the center and radius of circle B1. Circle B2 with
center P2 (2, 2) where P2 lie on B1. If the circle B1 is inside circle B2 and both circle touch at
the point (0, 0), find B2 equation.
Show that the origin and the centers of both circles are collinear. Find the equation of the
common tangent for B1 and B2. (2001/2002)

7. Find the equation of the parabola whose axes is parallel to the x-axis, vertex is (2, 1) and
passes through the point (6, 3). Hence, sketch the parabola. (2001/2002)

8. The line y – x – 2 = 0 and the circle x2 + y2 – 8x + 4y – 14 = 0 intersect at A and B where

point B is in the first quadrant.
(a) Find the point of intersection of the tangents at point A and point B.
(b) Find the equation of the parabola which passes through B with its axis of symmetry
parallel to the x-axis and the vertex is the midpoint of AB. Find the coordinates of the
focus. (2000/2001)

9. Write 9x2 + 16y2 – 54x – 64y + 1 = 0 in standard form and state the shape of its graph and its
centre. Sketch the graph. (2000/2001)

10. Find the values of p, q and r which make the ellipse that 4x2 + y2 + px + qy + r = 0 touches
the x-axis at the origin and passes through the point (1, 2). Express the equation obtained in
the standard form and hence find its foci. (2007/2008)

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11. The end points of the diameter of a circle are A (2, 0) and B(10, 4). Determine:
(a) The equation of the circle.
(b) The equation of the tangent line to the circle at the point B. (2008/2009)

12. An ellipse with centre at the origin passes through the points (0, 3) and (1, 1). Find the
equation and the foci of the ellipse. (2009/2010)

13. Given the circles

C1 : x2 + y2 – 2x  2y + 1 = 0
C2 : x2 + y2 = 1
Find
(a) The centre and the radius of the circle C1.
(b) The equations of the tangents from the point (0, 3) of the circle C2.
(c) The equation of the circle that passes through the point (5, 0) and the points of
intersection of the circles C1 and C2. (2009/2010)

14. Find the equation of the circle that passes through the points (1, 4), (2, 2) and (1, 3). Hence,
find the radius of the circle. (2010/2011)

15. A circle C passes through the origin and has its centre at the point (3, 3).
(a) Obtain the equation of the circle C.
(b) If the line y = x – 6 meets the circle C at the points P and Q, determine the coordinates of
P and Q.
(c) Find the coordinates of the points on the circle C where the tangents are parallel to the
line PQ. (2010/2011)

ANSWERS

 4 7  14 17   3 x  22  3x  8
1. (a)   ,   ,  (b) y  & y
 5 5 5 5 4 4
2. V(0, 2) and F(0, 4)  x2 + (y – 4)2 = 16
3. P(2, 1) : Q(6, 3) ; x + y2 – 23x + 36y – 15 = 0
2

4. (a) (x – 5)2 + (y – 5)2 = 25 (b) 5 (c) 3x + 4y – 60 = 0

5. Center (3, 0), major length = 6, minor length = 4.
6. P1(1, 1) ; r = 2 , B1 : x2 + y2 – 2x – 2y = 0, B2 : x2 + y2 – 4x – 4y = 0
Common tangent : x + y = 0

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7. (y + 1)2 = 4(x + 2) ; graph:

-2 0

-1

 1 9 1 
8. (a)   ,  (b) (y-2)2 = x ; F  ,2
 4 4 4 

9.
 x  3
2

 y  2
2
1 ( 3,5)
16 9

(-1,2) F1 F2 (7,2)

( 3,-1)

x 2  y  2
2
10. p = 0, q = 4, r = 0,   1 , F(0, 2+ 3 ), (0, 2  3 )
1 4
11. (a) (x – 6)2 + (y – 2)2 = 20 (b) y = 2x + 24
2 2 
8x y 63 
12.   1 ; F  0,
9 9  8 

13. (a) C(1, 1), r = 1 (b) y = 2 2 x  3 ; y  2 2 x  3
(c) x 2  y 2  4 x  4 y  5 , (0, 1) and (1, 0)
5
14. x2 + y2 – x – 5y + 4 = 0, r =
2
15. (a) (x – 3)2 + (y + 3)2 = 18 (b) P(6, 0) and Q(0, 6) (c) (0, 0) and (6, 6)