Real Wold Application - Ellipses

Ellipse

1)Definition: an ellipse is the set of all points such that the sum of the distances to two fixed points (known as the foci) is constant.

2)Algebraically, an ellipse's equation looks like (x-h/a)^2 + (y-k/b)^2 = 1 or (y-k/b)^2 + (x-h/a)^2 = 1. You have to keep in mind that both terms are squared, and x always goes over a and goes with h, while y goes over b and goes with k.
Here you can see the ellipse being drawn out

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Ellipse_construction_-_parallelogram_method.gif

3)Graphically: the ellipse is similar to an oval. It is egg shaped, and consists of 2 vertices, 2 co-vertices, 2 foci, 1 major axis, and 1 minor axis.Here, you can see these aspects

http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/ellipse.html

Real World Application: Ellipses can be found everywhere we look. From a glass of water to the way that planet and other things orbit in space, you can find an ellipse.
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/jbconics.htm

If you wish to learn more about ellipses and what make them up, you can click the link below
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/conic-sections/conic_ellipses/v/conic-sections--intro-to-ellipses

Work cited:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Ellipse_construction_-_parallelogram_method.gif

http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/ellipse.html

http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/jbconics.htm
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/conic-sections/conic_ellipses/v/conic-sections--intro-to-ellipses