Activity (Process)

How to Graph an Ellipse with Center (0, 0)

To graph an ellipse centered at the origin, (0, 0), follow this procedure:

  1. Write the equation of the ellipse in its standard form, x2a2+y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2} + \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1.
  2. Determine the orientation of the major axis by comparing the denominators: if the larger value is under x2x^2, the major axis is horizontal; if under y2y^2, it is vertical.
  3. Find the endpoints of the major axis using the larger denominator.
  4. Find the endpoints of the minor axis using the smaller denominator.
  5. Sketch the ellipse by plotting these four intercept points and connecting them with a smooth oval shape.

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Updated 2026-06-26

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Ch.11 Conics - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

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