Chapter 8: Eccentricity

The eccentricity of an ellipse is a measure of how round or flat it is. The eccentricity, E, is the ratio of
the distance, c, between the center and a focus to the distance, a, between the center and a vertex.
c
E = . You are going to explore how the E value changes the shape of an ellipse.
a
Graph each ellipse and list the a, b, c values. Then calculate the eccentricity of each graph. Round all
values to the nearest hundredth. Here it is OK to use decimals.

1.
(x )2 + (y )2 = 1 2.
(x )2 + (y )2 = 1 3.
(x − 2)2 + (y + 3)2 = 1
144 9 25 36 1 9

4.
(x )2 + (y )2 =1 5.
(x )2 + (y )2 =1 6.
(x )2 + (y )2 =1
9 4 5 4 100 99

7. What is the range of E values that you found?

8. How does the shape of the graph of an ellipse change depending on its E value? To help answer this
question look at how the shape of your ellipse changes as it goes from the higher E values to the smaller
E values.
9. What do you think is the largest E value possible for an ellipse? When would you get this E value
and what would your graph look like? Can an ellipse ever actually have this E value? Explain.
10. What do you think is the smallest E value possible for an ellipse? When would you get this E value
and what would your graph look like? Can an ellipse ever actually have this E value? Explain.
11. Fill in the blanks. For an ellipse, the smallest possible E value is _________ and he highest E value
is _________. As E approaches___________ the graph starts to become a ____________. As E
approaches _______ the graph starts to become a ______________.

This eccentricity formula also applies to hyperbolas. Graph each hyperbola and list the a, b, c values.
Then calculate the eccentricity of each graph. Round all values to the nearest hundredth. Here it is OK
to use decimals.
x2 y 2 y 2 x2 y 2 x2
12. x 2 − y 2 = 1 13. − =1 14. − =1 15. − =1
4 9 9 25 9 1
x2 y 2
16. − =1
81 25

17. What is the smallest E value for a hyperbola? When does it have this value?
18. Does a hyperbola have a highest, or maximum, value similar to the ellipse? Why or why not?
19. What happens to the graph of a hyperbola as the eccentricity gets larger? Why does this happen? In
your explanation include what is happening to the asymptotes and the latus rectum while E is increasing.
20. Fill in the blank. For a hyperbola, eccentricity is always E > _____. It is about ________ when
a = ____. As E increases the ____________ of the hyperbola get ____________.