UNIT - 5 COORDINATE GEOMETRY

STRUCTURE

5.0 Learning Objectives

5.1 Introduction

5.2 System of circles

5.3 Parabola and Ellipse

5.4 General equation of second degree

5.5 Tracing of conic sections

5.6 Sphere

5.7 Summary

5.8 Keywords

5.9 Learning Activity

5.10 Unit End Questions

5.11 References

5.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

 Identify different type of conics.

 Determine centre and radius of circle.

 Trace the conics using given equation.

 Classify the curves based on the general second degree curve.

 Solve problems of surface area and volume of sphere.

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5.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter investigates system of circles. It also deals with tracing of conics section. A
coordinate geometry is a branch of geometry where the position of the points on the plane is
defined with the help of an ordered pair of numbers also known as coordinates.

The horizontal line is called the x-axis, and the vertical line is called the y-axis. The coordinate
axes divide the plane into four parts called quadrants. The point of intersection of the axes is
called the origin.

The distance of a point from the y-axis is called its x-coordinate, or abscissa, and the distance
of the point from the x-axis is called its y-coordinate, or ordinate.

The circle is a familiar shape and it has a host of geometric properties that can be proved using
the traditional Euclidean format. But it is sometimes useful to work in co-ordinates and this
requires us to know the standard equation of a circle, how to interpret that equation and how to
find the equation of a tangent to a circle.

The conic sections are the shapes that can be created when a plane intersects a double cone like
the one below. In other words, the conic sections are the cross sections of a double cone. There
are four primary conic sections - the circle, the parabola, the ellipse, and the hyperbola.

The conic sections in the Euclidean plane have various distinguishing properties, many of
which can be used as alternative definitions. One such property defines a non-circular conic to
be the set of those points whose distances to some particular point, called a focus, and some
particular line, called a directrix, are in a fixed ratio, called the eccentricity. The type of conic
is determined by the value of the eccentricity. In analytic geometry, a conic may be defined as
a plane algebraic curve of degree 2; that is, as the set of points whose coordinates satisfy a
quadratic equation in two variables, which may be written in matrix form. This equation allows
deducing and expressing algebraically the geometric properties of conic sections.

In the Euclidean plane, the three types of conic sections appear quite different, but share many
properties. By extending the Euclidean plane to include a line at infinity, obtaining a projective
plane, the apparent difference vanishes: the branches of a hyperbola meet in two points at
infinity, making it a single closed curve; and the two ends of a parabola meet to make it a closed
curve tangent to the line at infinity. Further extension, by expanding the real coordinates to
admit complex coordinates, provides the means to see this unification algebraically.

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5.2 SYSTEM OF CIRCLES

A circle is defined as the set of all points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed point called
the center. The fixed distance from the center is called the radius and is denoted by r, where r
> 0.

Suppose a circle is centered at the point (h, k) and has radius, r (Figure 11-3). The distance
formula can be used to derive an equation of the circle. Let (x, y) be any arbitrary point on the
circle. Then, by definition, the distance between (h, k) and (x, y) must be r.

Fig. 5.1 System of circles

Since a circle is defined as a set of points equidistant from the center, we can use the distance
formula to determine an equation of a circle. We begin with a circle having its center at the
origin (0, 0) passing through a point (x, y) and having a radius r.

Example: Write an equation of each circle, given the following information:

Solution:

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General equation of a circle

Fig. 5.2 General equation of a circle

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Example: Find the centre and radius of the circle

Solution:

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Example: Find the centre and radius of the circle

Solution:

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Equation of a tangent to the circle at a given point

Example: What is the equation of the tangent to the circle

Fig. 5.3 equation of the tangent to the circle

We have also marked the centre of the circle on the diagram. To find the centre, we note that g
= 1 and f = 2, so that the centre is at (−1, −2).

A tangent is a straight line that just touches the circle. To find the equation of a straight line,
we need to know either two points on it, or one point on it together with its gradient. In this
example, we know one point on the line, the point (1, −4) where it is to touch the circle. But
we do not know another point. Nor do we know the gradient. So what should we do?

One fact we do know is that the tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius at the point of
contact. In this case, we know the point of contact (1, −4), and we also know the centre (−1,
−2). We can therefore calculate the gradient of the radius from the centre to the point of contact,
and hence the gradient of the tangent.

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Example: Find the equation of the tangent at the point (0, 2) to the circle x 2 + y 2 − 4x + 2y −
8=0

Solution: We start by finding the centre of the circle. From the equation, we see that g = −2
and f = 1, so the centre of the circle is at (2, −1).

Fig. 5.4 A tangent is a straight line that just touches the circle

Let us take (x1, y1) = (0, 2) and (x2, y2) = (2, −1). Then the gradient m1 of the radius joining
these two points is

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If the tangent has gradient m2 then we must have m1 m2 = −1 as the tangent and the radius are
perpendicular, and so m2 =2/3.

Now we can find the equation of the tangent. We know the gradient m 2 = 2/3 , and we know a
point (x1, y1) = (0, 2). So the tangent is given by

5.3 PARABOLA AND ELLIPSE

A parabola is defined by a set of points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed line (called
the directrix) and a fixed point (called the focus) not on the directrix. Parabolas have numerous
real-world applications. For example, a reflecting telescope has a mirror with the cross section
in the shape of a parabola. A parabolic mirror has the property that incoming rays of light are
reflected from the surface of the mirror to the focus.

Recall that the vertex (h, k) is the highest or the lowest point of a parabola. The axis of
symmetry of the parabola is a line that passes through the vertex and is perpendicular to the
directrix.

Fig. 5.5 parabola and ellipse

Standard Form of the Equation of a Parabola—Vertical Axis of Symmetry

The standard form of the equation of a parabola with vertex and vertical axis of symmetry is

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If a > 0 then the parabola opens upward; and if a < 0, the parabola opens downward. The axis
of symmetry is given by x = h.

Example:

Solution:

Parabola—Horizontal Axis of Symmetry

We have seen that the graph of a parabola y  ax2  bx  c opens upward if a  0 and
downward if a  0 . A parabola can also open to the left or right. In such a case, the “roles” of
x and y are essentially interchanged in the equation. Thus, the graph of x  ay 2  by  c opens
to the right if a  0 and to the left if a  0 .

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 Fig. 5.6 Parabola—Horizontal Axis of Symmetry

Standard Form of the Equation of a Parabola—Horizontal Axis of Symmetry

The standard form of the equation of a parabola with vertex and horizontal ax is of symmetry

is x  a  y  k   h; where a  0
2

If a > 0 then the parabola opens to right; and if a < 0, the parabola opens to left. The axis of
symmetry is given by y = k.

Example:

Solution:

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Vertex

The vertex formula can also be used to find the vertex of a parabola.

For a parabola defined by y  ax 2  bx  c

b
• The x-coordinate of the vertex is given by x  .
2a

• The y-coordinate of the vertex is found by substituting this value for x into the original
equation and solving for y.

For a parabola defined by x  ay 2  by  c

b
• The y-coordinate of the vertex is given by y 
2a

• The x-coordinate of the vertex is found by substituting this value for y into the original
equation and solving for x.

Example:

Solution:

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Ellipse

In this section we will study the two remaining conic sections: the ellipse and the hyperbola.
An ellipse is the set of all points (x, y) such that the sum of the distance between (x, y) and two
distinct points is a constant. The fixed points are called the foci (plural of focus) of the ellipse.

To visualize an ellipse, consider the following application. Suppose Sonya wants to cut an
elliptical rug from a rectangular rug to avoid a stain made by the family dog. She places two
tacks along the center horizontal line. Then she ties the ends of a slack piece of rope to each
tack. With the rope pulled tight, she traces out a curve. This curve is an ellipse, and the tacks
are located at the foci of the ellipse.

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Standard Form of an Equation of an Ellipse Centered at the Origin

x2 y 2
An ellipse with the center at the origin has the equation   1 where a and b are positive
a 2 b2
real numbers. In the standard form of the equation, the right hand side must be equal to 1.

To graph an ellipse centered at the origin, find the x- and y-intercepts.

Fig. 5.7 Ellipse

Example:

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Solution:

Fig. 5.8 Equation in Standard form

Example:

Solution:

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 Fig. 5.9 the Ellipse given by the equation.

5.4 GENERAL EQUATION OF SECOND DEGREE

The equation of the form ax2 +by2+2hxy+2gx+2fy+c=0

Where a, b and h are not simultaneously zero is called the general equation of the second degree
or the quadratic equation in x and y.

Now we state the following theorem which indicates that the general second degree equation
represents the general equation of conics, and the classification of conics depends on the
constant a, b, h.

Theorem: The general equation of the second degree

ax2+by2+2hxy+2gx+2fy+c=0 represents a conic section. It represents a:

(i) Parabola if h2–ab =0

(ii) Ellipse if h2–ab<0

(iii) Hyperbola if h2–ab>0

Theorem: If the axes are rotated about the origin through an angle θ (0<θ<90 ∘), where θ is
given by tan 2θ = 2h/(a–b), then the product terms xy in the general second degree equation
vanish in the new coordinates axes.

Example: Identify the conic represented by the equation 17x2–12xy+8y2=0

Solution: Comparing with the general equation of a conic, we have

a = 17, b = 8 and h = –6, so

h2–ab = (–6)2– (17) (8) = 36–136 = –100 < 0

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This shows that the given equation represents an ellipse.

Example: Let's determine the type of conic section 20x2−20y2−80x+240y+320=0 and rewrite
the equation in standard form.

Solution: Using the logic from the previous problem, we can conclude that this conic is not a
circle. It is also not a parabola because it has both the x2 and y2 terms. Rewrite the equation,
grouping the x terms together, y terms together, and moving the constant over to the other side.
Then, pull out the GCF of each set of terms.

Now, complete the square for the x and y terms. When determining what constant will
“complete the square” for each grouping, don’t forget to multiply the constant by the number
outside the parenthesis before adding it to the other side.

We now see that this conic is a hyperbola.

Example: Find the conic represented by 9x2 - 24xy + 16y2 – 124x + 132y + 324 = 0.

Solution: The given equation is of the general form, where a = 9, b = 16, h = - 12.,

Now let us rotate the axes through an angle  , where

2h 24
tan 2  
a b 7

12 tan 2   7 tan   12  0

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So we can take tan   3/ 4 and then sin   3/ 5 and cos  4 / 5 .

Then, in the new coordinate system the given equation becomes

2
 18  4
y   x
 5 5

 18 
Now let us shift the origin to  0, .
 5 

4
The equation becomes Y 2  X.
5

This is equation of parabola.

5.5 TRACING OF CONICS

Suppose you are given a quadratic equation. Can you get enough geometric information from
it to be able to draw its geometric representation? You are now in a position to check whether
it is a pair of lines or not, you can also tell whether it is a central conic or not. But there is still
one piece of information that you would need before you could draw the required conic. You
need to know the equation of its axis, or axes, as the case may be. So let us see how to find the
axes.

Example: Trace the following central conics.

x2+xy+y2+x+y+1=0.

Solution: x2+xy+y2+x+y+1=0

General equation of a conic: ax2+2hxy+by2+2gx+2fy+c=0

Comparing both equations,

a=1, 2h=1, b=1, 2g=1, 2f=1, c=1

h2=1/4 and ab=1

h2<ab

Hence, conic is an ellipse.

Example: Trace the following curve

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Solution: On comparing with general equation, we get

Here

The conics is an ellipse.

Now for the centre

h being positive, we arrive at minor axis first in revolving from axis of x to axis of y.

Fig. 5.10 Tracing of conics

Example: Trace the following curve

Solution: On comparing with general equation, we get

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Here

The given conics is parabola.

Fig. 5.11 Conics is parabola

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5.6 SPHERE

A sphere is a solid figure bounded by a curved surface, where every point of which is
equidistant from a fixed point called its center.

A straight line starting at the surface, passing through the center and ending at the
surface is called a diameter. The radius of a sphere is a straight line connecting its
center with any point on the surface. Obviously, all radii of the same sphere are equal.

The sphere may be considered as generated by the complete rotation of a semi-circle

about its diameter. A tennis ball is an example of a sphere.

The section of a sphere made by a plane is a circle. If the plane passes through the center of the
sphere, the circle is known as a great circle. Hence, all great circles of a sphere are equal,
have for their common center the center of the sphere and have their radii as the radius
of the sphere.

A great circle bisects the surface of a sphere. One of the two equal parts into which
the sphere is divided by a great circle is called a hemisphere.

In geometry, a sphere is a three-dimensional solid figure, which is round in shape. From a

mathematical perspective, a sphere is a set of points connected with one common point at equal
distances. Some examples of a sphere include a football, a soap bubble. The important elements
of a sphere are as follows.

Radius: The length of the line segment drawn between the center of the sphere to any point on
its surface. If 'O' is the center of the sphere and A is any point on its surface, then the distance
OA is its radius.

Diameter: The length of the line segment from one point on the surface of the sphere to the
other point which is directly opposite, passing through the center of the sphere is called its
diameter. The length of the diameter is exactly half of the length of the radius of the sphere.

Circumference: The length or the distance around the boundary or the outer surface of the
sphere is called its circumference.

Volume: Like any other three-dimensional object a sphere also occupies some amount of space.
This amount of space occupied by the sphere is called its volume. It is expressed in cubic units.

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Surface Area: The area occupied by the surface of the sphere is its surface area. It is measured
in square units.

Properties of a Sphere

A sphere is a three-dimensional object that has all the points on its outer surface to be
equidistant from the center. The following properties of a sphere help to identify a sphere
easily. They are as follows:

 A sphere is symmetrical from all directions.

 A sphere has only a curved surface area.

 A sphere has no edges or vertices.

 All the surface points of the sphere are at an equal distance from the center.

 A sphere is not a polyhedron because it does not have vertices, edges, and flat faces. A
polyhedron is an object that should definitely have flat faces.

 Air bubbles take up the shape of a sphere because the sphere's surface area is the least.

Surface area of a sphere is given by, S  4 r 2 .

4
Volume of the sphere is given by, V   r 3 .
3

Example: Find the diameter and circumference of a sphere with a radius of 7 units.

Solution:

Given, the radius of the sphere = 7 units.

The diameter of a sphere = 2 × radius.

Therefore, diameter of the sphere = 2 × 7

= 14 units.

Circumference of the sphere = 2πr

= 2 × (22/7) × 7

= 44 units

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Therefore, the diameter and the circumference of the given sphere are 14 units and 44 units
respectively.

Example: Find the volume of a sphere whose radius is 8 units.

Solution:

The formula for the volume of a sphere is (4/3) πr3 cubic units. Take the value of π as 22/7.
Given, the radius of the sphere = 8 units. Substituting the value of radius in the formula, we
get,

Volume = (4/3) π × 83

= (4/3) × (22/7) × 8 × 8 × 8

= 2145.52 cubic units.

Therefore, the volume of the sphere = 2145.52 cubic units.

Example: Find the surface area of a sphere whose radius is 5 units. Take the value of π as 22/7.

Solution:

Given, the radius of the sphere = 4πr 2 square units. Substituting the value of radius in the
formula, we get,

Surface Area = 4 × (22/7) × 52

= 4 × (22/7) × 25

= 314.28 square units

Therefore, the surface area of the given sphere is 314.28 square units.

Example: A solid is composed of a cylinder with hemisphere ends. If the whole length of the
solid is 108cm and the diameter of the hemispherical ends is 36cm, find the cost of polishing
the surface at the rate of 7 dollars per sq.cm.

Solution:

Radius of the cylinder = Radius of the hemisphere

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=362=18cm

Length of the cylinder = (108–18–18) =72cm

Surface of the cylinder =2πrh

Surface of the two hemispheres =2×(124πr 2)

Total surface =2πrh+4πr2=2πr(h+2π)

=2×3.14×18(72+2×18)

=12214.54 sq.cm (approx)

Cost of polishing at 7 Dollars per sq.cm = 7100×12214.54 = 855.02

Example: A toy is in the form of a cone mounted on a hemisphere. The diameter of the base
of the cone is 6cm and its height is 4cm. Calculate the surface area of the toy.

Solution:

Surface area of hemisphere =12(4πr2) = 2×3.14×32

=56.25 sq.cm

Now, for the conical part, we have

r =3cm, h=4cm

∴ l= 5cm

Also, the curved surface of the cone = πrl = 3.14×3×5 = 47.10cm

∴ Surface area of the toy =56.52+17.10=103.62 sq.cm

5.7 SUMMARY

 A conic section (or simply conic) is a curve obtained as the intersection of the surface
of a cone with a plane; the three types are parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas.

 A conic section can be graphed on a coordinate plane.

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 Every conic section has certain features, including at least one focus and directrix.
Parabolas have one focus and directrix, while ellipses and hyperbolas have two of
each.

 A conic section is the set of points P whose distance to the focus is a constant multiple
of the distance from P to the directrix of the conic.

 Conic sections are a particular type of shape formed by the intersection of a plane
and a right circular cone. Depending on the angle between the plane and the cone,
four different intersection shapes can be formed.

 The types of conic sections are circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas.

 Each conic section also has a degenerate form; these take the form of points and lines.

 Eccentricity is a parameter associated with every conic section, and can be thought
of as a measure of how much the conic section deviates from being circular.

 The eccentricity of a conic section is defined to be the distance from any point on the
conic section to its focus, divided by the perpendicular distance from that point to the
nearest directrix.

 A parabola is formed by the intersection of a plane and a right circular cone.

 All parabolas contain a focus, a directrix, and an axis of symmetry. These vary in
exact location depending on the equation used to define the parabola.

 Parabolas are frequently used in physics and engineering for things such as the design
of automobile headlight reflectors and the paths of ballistic missiles.

 Projectiles and missiles follow approximately parabolic paths. They are approximate
because real-world imperfections affect the movements of objects.

 Parabolic reflectors are common in microwave and satellite dish receiving and
transmitting antennas.

 Paraboloids are also observed in the surface of a liquid confined to a container and
rotated around the central axis.

 A circle is defined as the set of points that are a fixed distance from a center point.

 The distance formula can be extended directly to the definition of a circle by noting
that the radius is the distance between the center of a circle and the edge.

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  An ellipse and a circle are both examples of conic sections.

 A circle is a special case of an ellipse, with the same radius for all points.

 By stretching a circle in the x or y direction, an ellipse is created.

 An ellipse is formed by a plane intersecting a cone at an angle to its base.

 All ellipses have two focal points, or foci. The sum of the distances from every point
on the ellipse to the two foci is a constant.

 All ellipses have a center and a major and minor axis.

 All ellipses have eccentricity values greater than or equal to zero, and less than one.

 Surface area of a sphere is given by, S  4 r 2 .

4
 Volume of the sphere is given by, V   r 3 .
3

5.8 KEYWORD

 Focus ―a point used to construct and define a conic section, at which rays reflected
from the curve converge point.

 Conic section ― any curve formed by the intersection of a plane with a cone of two
nappes.

 Directrix ― a line used to construct and define a conic section; a parabola has one
directrix; ellipses and hyperbolas have two.

 Eccentricity ― a parameter of a conic section that describes how much the conic
section deviates from being circular.

 Circle ― the conic section formed by the plane being parallel to the base of the cone.

 Ellipse ― the conic section formed by the plane being at an angle to the base of the
cone.

 Parabola ― the conic section formed by the plane being parallel to the cone.

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5.9 LEARNING ACTIVITY

1. What is vertex of a parabola?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. What is surface area of a sphere?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

5.10 UNIT END QUESTIONS

A. Descriptive Questions

Short Questions

1. Identify the conic x 2  2 xy  y 2  2 .

2. Trace the conic 4 x 2  4 xy  y 2  8x  6 y  5  0 .

3. Find the equation of the circle which passes through the point of intersection of the lines
x – 4y – 1 = 0 and 4x + y – 21 = 0 and whose centre is (2, –3).

4. A sphere has a radius 6 inches. Find its 1. volume and 2. surface area.

5. Reduce 2x2+2y2+8x+24y+60=0 into the standard circle form.

Long Questions

1. Identify the conic 9 x 2  6 xy  y 2  40 x  20 y  75  0 .

2. Show that the conic x 2  2 xy  y 2  2 x  1  0 is a parabola. Find its axis and trace it.

3. Find the equation of a circle of radius 10 whose centre lies on x-axis and passes through
the point (4, 6).

4. A globe of Earth is in the shape of a sphere with radius 14 centimeters. Find its 1.
Volume and 2. Surface area. Round the answer to the nearest hundredth.

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 4x2
5. Reduce the equation  25 y 2  1 into the standard form. What is the centre? How
9
long is major axis? How long is minor axis?

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1. The general equation of second degree ax2  2hxy  by 2  2 gx  2 fy  c  0

represents a parabola if

a. h 2  ab

b. h 2  ab

c. h 2  ab

d. None

2. Where is the vertex of the parabola x2  4  y  2 ?

a. (2, 0)

b. (0, 2)

c. (3, 0)

d. (0, 3)

3. In the equation y   x 2  x  1 , where is the curve facing?

a. upward

b. downward

c. left

d. right

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 4. What is the radius of the circle x 2  y 2  6 y  0 ?

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. 5

5. What are the coordinates of the centre of the curve x 2  y 2  2 x  4 y  31  0 ?

a. (-1, -1)

b. (-2, -2)

c. (1, 2)

d. (2, 1)

Answers

1-b, 2-b, 3-b, 4-b, 5-c.

5.11 REFERENCES

References book

 Dass, H. K. (2013). Advanced Engineering Mathematics. S. Chand & Company Ltd.

 Kishan, H. (2006). Coordinate geometry of two dimensions. Atlantic.

Textbook references

 Laverty, W. H. (1872). Examples of conics and curves. Rivingtons, Oxford

University.

 Greenberg, M. (1998). Advanced Engineering Mathematics. Prentice Hall.

Website

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 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-algebra/chapter/introduction-to-conic-
sections/

 https://www.cuemath.com/geometry/sphere/

 https://www.emathzone.com/tutorials/geometry/volume-of-a-sphere.html

 https://theengineeringmaths.com/

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