Math Analysis 223: Conic Section Photo Project
Objective: To show understanding of the different conic sections and where they appear in
the real world.
Directions: You are to create a poster with at least 6 photos of
conic sections that you take with your camera. You must have at
least 1 photo of each type of conic section (circle, ellipse,
parabola, hyperbola).
Some requirements for the photos:
1. You cannot use pre-existing photos (they must have been taken with your camera)
2. To verify that the photos you include in the project were taken with your camera, you must be
in at least 3 of the photos
3. You cannot manipulate your environment to create a conic section; the conic should exist
naturally (for example, you cannot just draw a conic section on a piece of paper and then take
a picture of it)
4. No digital manipulation of the photos are allowed (no ‘Photoshopping’)
5. You cannot share your photos with anyone else for their project
6. Nothing objectionable will be tolerated in any of the photos
On the poster will be your photos of the conic sections, neatly labeled in terms of type
(circle, ellipse, hyperbola, or parabola). You also need to have a title at the top of the
poster. Also on the poster, you must have the following:
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For each photo of a circle, you must write down an appropriate approximation of the radius
for that circle.
For each photo of an ellipse, you must write down whether it is stretched more vertically or
horizontally.
For each photo of a parabola, you must write down whether the curve opens ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘left’,
or ‘right’.
For each photo of a hyperbola, you must write down whether the curves open ‘’up and down’
or ‘left and right’.
DUE DATE:
If you need some hints as to where can find the various conic sections, try this website:
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/jbconics.htm