Chapter 11: Problem 26
Exer. 25-32: Find a polar equation of the conic with focus at the pole that has the given eccentricity and equation of directrix. $$ e=1, \quad r \cos \theta=5 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The polar equation is \(r = \frac{5}{1 + \cos(\theta)}\).
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Problem
We need a polar equation for a conic with a given eccentricity \(e\) and a directrix given by an equation. The eccentricity \(e=1\) indicates that the conic is a parabola.
02
Identify Conic Type
Since the eccentricity \(e = 1\), the conic section we are dealing with is a parabola. Parabolas have a unique property that \(e = 1\) and they can open either upwards, downwards, left, right, or at some angle.
03
Write the General Polar Equation
The polar form equation of a conic section with focus at the pole \((0,0)\) is \[r = \frac{ed}{1 + e\cos(\theta)}\] when the directrix is \(r \cos \theta = d\), provided the eccentricity \(e=1\).
04
Substitute Known Values
The directrix given is \(r \cos \theta = 5\), so \(d=5\). Given \(e=1\), substitute these into the polar equation: \[r = \frac{5}{1 + \cos(\theta)}\].
05
Simplify the Equation
The equation reduces to \(r = \frac{5}{1 + \cos(\theta)}\), which represents the polar equation of the parabola with the focus at the pole and the directrix \(r\cos\theta=5\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Conic Sections
Conic sections are curves obtained by intersecting a plane with a double-napped cone. They include circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. Each conic section has unique geometric properties and can be defined by an equation.
- **Circle** - All points are equidistant from a central point.
- **Ellipse** - It resembles a stretched circle, with two focal points.
- **Parabola** - Each point is equidistant from a focus and a directrix.
- **Hyperbola** - Consists of two separate curves, each wrapping around a focus point.
Eccentricity
Eccentricity measures how "stretched" or "squished" a conic section is. This number helps classify the conic sections uniquely.
- If **eccentricity** \(e = 0\), the conic is a circle.
- If \(0 < e < 1\), it is an ellipse.
- If \(e = 1\), the shape is a parabola.
- If \(e > 1\), it is a hyperbola.
Parabola
A parabola is a symmetrical open curve. It has several applications, particularly in mechanics, optics, and graphing quadratic functions. Every parabola has:
- A **focus**, a point which the parabola wraps around.
- A **vertex**, the turning point of the parabola closest to the directrix.
- A **directrix**, a line that helps define the parabola's openness and direction.
Directrix
The directrix of a conic section is a straight line used with the focus to define and construct the curve. For a parabola, it guides its shape and direction.
- In our context, the directrix is given by **\(r \cos \theta = 5\)**. This defines a vertical line at a specific distance from the pole when equated.
- The parabolic curve maintains an equal distance from this directrix and the focus at every point.