Conic Sections: Hyperbolas

Properties of a Hyperbola

Graph of hyperbola with foci, vertices and co-vertices graphed.

A hyperbola has two axes of symmetry. One axis contains the transverse axis segment V 1, V 2 and the other axis contains the conjugate axis  from (0, b) to (0, -b). The endpoints of the transverse axis are called the vertices and the endpoints of the conjugate axis are called the co-vertices. The point where the transverse and conjugate axes meet is called the center.