0A hyperbola is a pair of symmetrical open curves. It is what we get when we slice a pair of vertical joined cones with a vertical plane.
How do we create a hyperbola?
Take 2 fixed points A and B and let them be 4a units apart. Now, take half of that distance (i.e. 2a units).
Now, move along a curve such that from any point on the curve,
(distance to A) − (distance to B) = 2a Units
Cooling towers for a nuclear power plant have a hyperbolic cross-section
General Equation of North-South Hyperbola:
For the hyperbola with focal distance 4a (distance between the 2 foci), and passing through the y-axis at (0, c) and (0, −c), we defineCooling towers for a nuclear power plant have a hyperbolic cross-section
b2 = c2 − a2
Applying the distance formula for the general case, in a similar fashion to the above example, we obtain the general form for a north-south hyperbola:
y2/a2-x2/b2 = 1
