Conic Sections
Conic sections are the curves generated by the intersections of a plane with one or two cones. They come in several different shapes. In this activity, we will discover how the positioning of the plane will affect the resulting conic section.
Follow the prompts below to learn more about conic sections. Record your results and findings on a separate document.
1. Set s = 0. Vary t across the range provided.
a. Describe the shape of the conic sections from this plane.
b. How do changes in t change the conic sections?
c. Describe the cone in terms of this conic section.
2. Set s = 0.6. Vary t between 0 and 2.
a. Describe the shape of the conic sections from this plane.
b. How is this conic section different from the section in part 1?
c. How do changes in t change the conic sections?
3. Set s = 1.32. Vary t across the range provided
a. Describe the shape of the conic sections from this plane.
b. How do changes in t change the conic sections?
4. Set s = 4. Vary t across the range provided.
a. Describe the shape of the conic sections from this plane.
b. How is this conic section different from the section in part 3?
c. How do changes in t change the conic sections?