Multiple choice question

comeoneileen0405

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
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4
The graph of x^2 - 4y^2 - 2x - 16y + 13 = 0 is

a. a circle
b. an ellipse WOULD THIS BE RIGHT?
c. a hyperbola
d. a parabola
e. none of these

Thanks,
EILEEN
 
Here is the process of categorization:

. . . . .1) Are both variables squared?
. . . . . . .No: It's a parabola.
. . . . . . .Yes: Go to (2).

. . . . .2) Do the squared terms have the same sign?
. . . . . . .No: It's an hyperbola.
. . . . . . .Yes: Go to (3).

. . . . .3) Are the squared terms multiplied by the same value?
. . . . . . .No: It's an ellipse.
. . . . . . .Yes: It's a circle.

Follow this process to find the correct answer.

Eliz.
 
Exactly right!

Eliz.

P.S. If you haven't memorized some sort of process-of-elimination thing like I listed above, you might want to. It can save you a lot of time. I found it very helpful when working on conics... which I hated.... Ick! :wink:
 
Hello, Eliz!

Wow! . . . a magnificent flowchart approach!

Code:
      *-----------------------------*
      | Are both variables squared? |
      *-----------------------------*
                  /     \
            *----*       *-----*
            | NO |       | YES |
        *---+----+-*   *-+-----+--------------*
        | Parabola |   | Do the squared terms |
        *----------*   | have the same sign?  |
                       *----------------------*
                              /     \
                       *----*         *-----*
                       | NO |         | YES |
                  *----+----+-*     *-+-----+-------------------*
                  | Hyperbola |     | Do the squared terms have |
                  *-----------*     |   the same coefficient?   |
                                    *---------------------------*
                                              /     \
                                       *----*         *-----*
                                       | NO |         | YES |
                                    *--+----+-*      *+-----+-*
                                    | Ellipse |      | Circle |
                                    *---------*      *--------*
Thank you!
 
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