alleryStart learning →In the definition of an ellipse, what name is given to each of the two fixed points?
AEach one is called a vertex
BEach one is called a focus
CEach one is called a center
DEach one is called an axis
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Each one is called a focus
1. The two fixed points hold the string that traces the curve.
2. Each of them is called a focus, and the pair together are the foci.
3. The vertices sit at the ends of the major axis, so they are a different pair of points.
4. The center is the single midpoint of both axes, so it cannot be one of the pair.
_Source: OpenStax College Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 8 "Analytic Geometry", section 8.1 The Ellipse_
Keep practising The Ellipse
Browse all The Ellipse questions for NY Regents Geometry, or explore more Mathematics topics.
Related questions
A whispering chamber is a horizontal ellipse 100 feet long and 60 feet wide, centered at tIn the standard form of an ellipse, a squared equals 64. How long is the major axis?An ellipse has vertices at (3, -1) and (3, 9). Where is its center?An ellipse centered at the origin has vertices at (13, 0) and (-13, 0) and foci at (12, 0)In an ellipse, which name belongs to the longer of the two axes of symmetry?For every point on an ellipse, which quantity built from the two foci stays constant?