What is a conic section?
Q: What is a conic section?
A: A conic section is a curve formed when a cone and a plane intersect.
Q: What kind of cones are assumed in elementary geometry?
A: Right circular cones are assumed in elementary geometry.
Q: What does circular mean in the context of cones?
A: Circular means that the base of the cone is a circle.
Q: What does right mean in the context of cones?
A: Right means that the axis of the cone passes through the center of the base at right angles to its plane.
Q: What are oblique cones?
A: Oblique cones are cones in which the axis does not pass perpendicularly through the center of the base.
Q: Who first studied the properties of conic sections?
A: Apollonius of Perga studied the properties of conic sections around 200 BC.
Q: What are the three types of conic sections?
A: The three types of conic sections are the parabola, the hyperbola, and the ellipse.
