Math Placement Exam - Conic Sections
Questions and Answers
Conic Sections - Answer -Consists of four geometric shapes (parabolas, circles,
ellipses, and hyperbolas) that are actually the cross-sections of a right circular cone
sliced by a plane
If A equals B - Answer -It's a circle
If A doesn't equal B (same signs) - Answer -It's an ellipse
If A doesn't equal B (different signs) - Answer -It's a hyperbola
General Form - Answer -A x2 + B y2 + C x+ D y + E = 0
Parabola - Answer -Is the set of points on the coordinate plane that are equidistant from
a fixed point (focus) and fixed line (directrix)
Parabola's Standard Form (x2) - Answer -y = a ( x - h) 2 + k
Parabola's Standard Form (x2): vertex - Answer -( h , k )
Parabola's Standard Form (x2): focus - Answer -( h , k + c )
Parabola's Standard Form (x2): axis of symmetry - Answer -( x = h )
Parabola's Standard Form (x2): directrix - Answer -( y = k - c )
Axis of Symmetry - Answer -A line that cuts through the middle of the parabola,
intersecting at the vertex
Vertex - Answer -Parabola's lowest point if graphs points up, highest point if graph
points down
The Value C - Answer -The distance from the vertex to both the focus and directrix
(measured along axis of symmetry); will always be POSITIVE
