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Parametric circle and ellipse with points

Short answer

Circle: x=2+5cosθ, y=3+5sinθ; points (7,3), (4.5,7.33), (-0.5,7.33), (-3,3); tangent at 60° (-4.33,2.5). Ellipse: x=1+6cosθ, y=2+3sinθ; points (7,2), (5.243,4.121), (1,5).

Write the parametric equations of (a) a circle of centre (2, 3) and radius 5, and (b) an ellipse of centre (1, 2) with semi-major axis 6 along X and semi-minor axis 3. Calculate points on the circle at 0, 60, 120 and 180 degrees, the tangent direction at 60 degrees, and the points of the ellipse at 0, 45 and 90 degrees.

(a) Circle

x=xc+Rcos⁡θ,y=yc+Rsin⁡θ,0≤θ≤2πx=x_c+R\cos\theta,\qquad y=y_c+R\sin\theta,\qquad 0\le\theta\le2\pi

With (xc,yc)=(2,3)(x_c,y_c)=(2,3), R=5R=5: x=2+5cos⁡θx=2+5\cos\theta, y=3+5sin⁡θy=3+5\sin\theta.

θ\thetaxxyy
0 deg7.0003.000
60 deg4.5007.330
120 deg-0.5007.330
180 deg-3.0003.000

Tangent: dxdθ=−5sin⁡θ, dydθ=5cos⁡θ\dfrac{dx}{d\theta}=-5\sin\theta,\ \dfrac{dy}{d\theta}=5\cos\theta. At 60∘60^\circ: (−4.330, 2.500)(-4.330,\ 2.500). Its length is 5, and it is perpendicular to the radius vector (2.5, 4.330)(2.5,\ 4.330), since the dot product is −10.83+10.83=0-10.83+10.83=0.

(b) Ellipse

x=xc+acos⁡θ,y=yc+bsin⁡θx=x_c+a\cos\theta,\qquad y=y_c+b\sin\theta

With a=6a=6, b=3b=3, centre (1,2)(1,2): x=1+6cos⁡θx=1+6\cos\theta, y=2+3sin⁡θy=2+3\sin\theta.

θ\thetaxxyy
0 deg7.0002.000
45 deg5.2434.121
90 deg1.0005.000

Check at 45 deg: (5.243−1)236+(4.121−2)29=0.5+0.5=1\dfrac{(5.243-1)^2}{36}+\dfrac{(4.121-2)^2}{9}=0.5+0.5=1.

The circle is the special case a=b=Ra=b=R. Note that θ\theta here is a parameter (the eccentric angle), not the polar angle of the point on the ellipse.

Answer: circle points (7, 3), (4.5, 7.33), (-0.5, 7.33), (-3, 3); tangent at 60 deg = (-4.33, 2.5); ellipse points (7, 2), (5.243, 4.121), (1, 5).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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