Emily Huffman

Kiker
Algebra II
May 6, 2015
Conics Project: Architect Analytical Report
The solar system has long been a mystery to humankind. Dating back to Ancient Greece,
philosophers and scholars alike have been trying to crack the unfathomable universe that earth
exists in. A major mystery that was eventually solved in the solar system was the discovery of
how planets orbital paths worked. The answer, though not so simple at the time, was an ellipse.
The solar system is a great example of the ellipse because it exists on a huge, natural scale that is
easy to observe and recreate through the use of common materials. The ellipse is a very unique
conic, and that is why it is so interesting to study.
For my groups Conics Project we had the ellipse. For our model, we decided to recreate
the solar system, and show how the planets orbit the sun in an elliptical path. We especially
focused on Earths orbit, because it is the most circular orbit while still being an ellipse. We
painted a block of wood for our base multiple colors to look like space. Then, we painted
different wooden spheres to represent the different planets. We also painted wooden dowels that
would connect the wooden spheres to the wooden base, so that the elliptical path would be
obvious in our model. We drilled holes in the base to place the dowels into, and hot glued them
down so that they would remain stable. We then hot glued wire to the dowel that supported Earth
so that we could show the exact elliptical path that the Earth makes, with the sun at one of the
foci of the ellipse. We chose to use wooden materials because they were the most sturdy option,
and would be the easiest connect and paint. We only encountered a couple obstacles during the
construction process, such as it did prove more difficult than expected to connect the dowels to
the base. We used lots of hot glue to attempt to reinforce it, but it needed more coats of hot glue

than we originally thought. In addition to that, we also had difficulty stationing the sun at one of
the foci of earth's ellipse, because it is also supposed to be one of the foci of the other planets.
Due to this occurrence and limited space, it appears as though the sun is at the center of earths
ellipse, when in reality it is at one of the foci. Overall, our model came out basically as we
planned, and I am very pleased with the outcome. We worked very hard on our elliptical model
and I am proud of the work we did.
The history of the ellipse dates back several hundred centuries. It was written about by
Euclid of Alexandria, though it wasnt until the 16th century that it became further understood.
Kepler, who studied Mars orbit, was the first scholar to fully grasp the concept of ellipses, and
discovered that the sun was one of the foci of each planets orbit. It wasnt until a few centuries
later that the ellipse was introduced in architecture. One of the most famous examples can be
seen in the Whispering Hall in Washington, D.C. It was made famous due to the fact that due
to the elliptical shape of the room, John Quincy Adams was able to listen to other political
leaders on the other side of the room during sessions because his seat was located at one of the
foci of the elliptical room. It has become a popular tourist attraction because of its unique sound
capabilities, since elliptical rooms are not particularly common. Not many people understand
how the ellipse affects everyday life, and dont notice how it is seen in daily life. The ellipse is
found in modern architecture, the solar system, and many other areas of life.
The ellipse is a fairly simple conic that has a big impact. The solar system is a huge,
glaring example of this unique conic which is we chose to investigate it for this project. The
research, construction, and analysis of this project has been very successful and we are very
proud of the work that we have put in. The ellipse is a very important conic, and should continue
to be studied by students.

The planets in the solar system orbit the sun in an elliptical path, with the sun at one of their
foci. The earth is the most circular ellipse in our solar system, and is a very slight ellipse.
However, it still follows an elliptical orbit like all the other planets, so that the solar system
exists in equilibrium. The center of the elliptical orbit of earth is (0,0), one vertex is (0, 92.95),
and one co-vertex is (0, 92.93). What is the standard form of the elliptical path of the earth?
To solve this problem is fairly basic. The standard equation for an ellipse is (x-h)^2 / a^2
+ (y-k)^2 / b^2 = 1. The problem gives you the center, a vertex, and a co-vertex so you can
essentially just substitute in the numbers provided. The larger value will always be your a^2
value, so in this case it has to be 92.95 million miles. By process of elimination, you b^2 value
must be 92.93 million miles. Once you know these pieces of information, you can put it all
together to get that x^2 / 92.95^2 + y^2 / 92.93^2 = 1. For problems concerning ellipses, the
most important step to know is the standard equation. Once you have that figured out, you can
find the equation of the conic if you are simply provided the bare bones of the equation that are
needed to begin to solve for the standard form.

Works Cited
"Ellipse." Ellipse. N.p., Jan. 1997. Web. 05 May 2015.
Seligman, Courtney. "Ellipses and Other Conic Sections." Ellipses and Other Conic Sections.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2015.

"Urban Legends of the Capitol - The Whispering Hall - DC Like a Local - DC Like a Local."
Urban Legends of the Capitol - The Whispering Hall - DC Like a Local - DC Like a Local.
N.p., 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 05 May 2015.