Unit Warm-Up

Conic sections are actually formed from two cones that are connected at their tips as shown below.

When a plane cuts through these two cones, it produces the conic sections you will learn about in this unit.  In the following animation, watch what happens as the plane rotates.  Pay close attention to where the plane intersects the cones, which is drawn in red in the animation.

Go to The Conic Sections to start the animation.

You have just seen how each of the four conic sections is created.  In this unit, you will learn specifics about each of these conic sections. Feel free to come back to this animation as you work through this unit.