Parabola

One Shot
Nishant Vora
B.Tech - IIT Patna
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Conic Section
Conic Section
Definition of any conic
Locus of point which is moving in a plane such that ratio of its distance
from a fixed point (focus) and fixed line (directrix) is always constant
General Eqn of any 2nd
degree curve
General Equation of 2nd degree curve

Pair of SL

Hyperbola
Circle Parabola Ellipse

h2 > ab
h=0 h2 = ab h2 < ab
e>1
a=b e=1 e<1
Example
Which conic does 13x2 - 18xy + 37y2 + 2x + 14y - 2 = 0 represent?
Standard Equation of
Parabola
Standard Equation of Parabola
Terms related to parabola
Kundli of Parabola
Standard Equation

Focus

Vertex

Eqn of Directrix

Eqn of Axis of Parabola

Extremities of Latus Rectum

Length of Latus rectum(LR)

Eqn of tangent at vertex(T.A.V)

Parametric Coordinates
4 different orientation of parabolas
Kundli of Parabola
Standard Equation

Focus

Vertex

Directrix

Axis

LR

Tangent at vertex

Parametric
Coordinates
Trick for Parametric Coordinates
Example
Example :
The area (in sq. units) of an equilateral triangle inscribed in the
parabola y2 = 8x, with one of its vertices on the vertex of this
parabola, is :

A. 64 √3

B. 256 √3 JEE Main 2019

C. 192 √3

D. 128 √3
Shifted Parabola
Parabola whose vertex is shifted
(x - 1)2 = -12 (y - 2)
Example :
Axis of a parabola lies along x-axis. If its vertex and focus are at
distance 2 and 4 respectively from the origin, on the positive
x - axis then which of the following points does not lie on it ?

A. (5, 2√6)

B. (8, 6) JEE Main 2019

C. (6, 4√2)

D. (4, -4)
If the area of the triangle whose one vertex is at the vertex of the parabola, y2 +
4 (x - a2) = 0 and the other two vertices are the points of intersection of the
parabola and y-axis, is 250 sq. units, then a value of ‘a’ is :

A. 5√5

JEE Main 2019

B. 5(21/3)

C. (10)2/3

D. 5
Locus
The locus of a point which divides the line segment joining the point (0, -1) and a
point on the parabola, x2 = 4y, internally in the ratio 1 : 2 is :

A. 9x2 - 12y = 8
JEE Main 2020
B. 9x2 - 3y = 2

C. x2 - 3y = 2

D. 4x2 - 3y = 2
The locus of the mid-point of the line segment joining the focus of the parabola y2
= 4ax to moving point of the parabola, is another parabola whose directrix is :

A. x=a JEE Main 2021

B. x=0

C. x = -a/2

D. x = a/2
A. x2 = y

B. y2 = 2x

C. JEE Adv. 2011

y2 = x

D. x2 = 2y
Chord of Parabola
Chord of Parabola
Chord : Line segment joining two points on the curve
Focal Length:
Focal Length: Length of any point on parabola from focus

(a, 0)
Focal Chord
Chord passing through focus

(a, 0)
Length of Focal Chord
Length of focal chord

(a, 0)
If one end of a focal chord of the parabola, y2 = 16x is at (1, 4), then the length of
this focal chord is :

A. 25

B. 22
JEE Main 2019
C. 24

D. 20
Example :

JEE Main 2021

Position of Point w.r.t
Parabola
Position of point w.r.t parabola
Example :
Check whether the point (3, 4) lies inside or outside the parabola y2 = 4x.
Line and Parabola
Line and Parabola
Condition of tangency
Equation of Tangent
Equation of Tangent :

1. Point Form
2. Parametric Form
3. Slope Form
1. Point Form :
2. Parametric Form :
3. Slope Form :
Remember:
The equation of a tangent to the parabola, x2 = 8y, which makes an angle θ with
the positive direction of x-axis, is :

JEE Main 2019

A. y = x tan θ + 2 cot θ

B. y = x tan θ - 2 cot θ

C. x = y cot θ + 2 tan θ

D. x = y cot - 2 tan θ
The tangent to the parabola y2 = 4x at the point where it intersects the circle x2 +
y2 = 5 in the first quadrant, passes through the point :

A.
JEE Main 2019

B.

C.

D.
Let a line y = mx (m > 0) intersect the parabola, y2 = x at a point P, other than the
origin. Let the tangent to it at P meet the x-axis at the point Q, If area (ΔOPQ) = 4
sq. units, then m is equal to _.
JEE Main 2020
If one end of a focal chord AB of the parabola y2 = 8x is at A(1/2 , -2), then the
equation of the tangent to it at B is :
JEE Main 2020
A. 2x + y - 24 = 0

B. x - 2y + 8 = 0

C. x + 2y + 8 = 0

D. 2x - y - 24 = 0
Example :
If the lines x + y = a and x - y = b touch the curve y = x2 - 3x + 2 at
the points where the curve intersects the x - axis, the a/b is equal
to _.

JEE Main 2020

Example :
A tangent is drawn to the parabola y2 = 6x which is perpendicular
to the line 2x + y = 1. Which of the following points does NOT lie
on it ?

A. (0, 3)

B. (-6, 0) JEE Main 2021

C. (4, 5)

D. (5, 4)
Point of Intersection of
two tangents
Point of Intersection of Tangents

G O A
Paragraph Question
Let PQ be a focal chord of parabola y2 = 4ax. The tangents to the parabola
at P and Q meet at a point lying on the line y = 2x + a, a>0

1. Length of chord PQ is JEE Adv. 2013

A. 7a

B. 5a

C. 2a

D. 3a
Paragraph Question
If the chord PQ subtends an angle θ at the vertex of y2 = 4ax, then tan θ =

JEE Adv. 2013

Important Property
Point of intersection of tangents at the extremities of focal chord lie on directrix
Eqn of Common
Tangent
Example :
If the common tangent to the parabolas, y2 = 4x and x2 = 4y also
touches the circle, x2 + y2 = c2, then c is equal to :
JEE Main 2020
A. 1 / 2√2

B. 1 / √2

C. 1/4

D. 1/2
Example :
If y = mx + 4 is a tangent to both the parabolas, y2 = 4x and
x2 = 2by, then b is equal to :

A. -32

B. -64 JEE Main 2020

C. -128

D. 128
Example :
Equation of a common tangent to the circle, x2 + y2 - 6x = 0 and
the parabola, y2 = 4x, is :

A. 2√3y = 12x + 1

B. √3y = x + 3 JEE Main 2019

C. 2√3y = -x - 12

D. √3y = 3x + 1
Example :
The equation of a common tangent to the curves, y2 = 16x and
xy = -4, is :

A. x-y+4=0

B. x+y+4=0
JEE Main 2019

C. x - 2y + 16 = 0

D. 2x - y + 2 = 0
Example :
Equation of a common tangent to the parabola y2 = 4x and the
hyperbola xy = 2 is :

A. x+y+1=0

B. x - 2y + 4 = 0
JEE Main 2019
C. x + 2y + 4 = 0

D. 4x + 2y + 1 = 0

DIY
Ans: C
Pair of Tangents from
External Point
 valid for all conics
Pair of tangents from a point :

P (x1, y1)
Chord of Contact
 valid for all conics
Chord of contact :
Eqn of chord of contact is given by T = 0

P (x1, y1)
Eqn of Chord if Midpoint is
given
Equation of the chord with a given middle point :
valid for all conics
JEE Adv. 2017
Equation of Normal
Eqn of Normal :

1. Point Form
2. Parametric Form
3. Slope Form
1. Point form :
2. Parametric form :
3. Slope form :
Note :
Important Result
If the normal at one point P(at12,2at1) intersects the parabola again at Q(at22,2at2) then
Example :

JEE Main 2021

JEE Adv. 2015
Co-normal points
Example :
Find the equation of normal to the parabola y2 = 4x which passes through (3, 0)
CO - normal points :
Properties of co-normal points :
1. The algebraic sum of the slopes of three concurrent normals is
zero.
Properties of co-normal points :
2. The algebraic sum of ordinates of the feets of three normals
drawn to a parabola from a given point is zero
Properties of co-normal points :
3. Three real normals can be drawn to any parabola y2 = 4ax from a
given point (h, k) if h > 2a
Example :
4. The centroid of the triangle formed by the feet of the three
normals lies on the axis of the parabola
Example :
If the three normals drawn to the parabola, y2 = 2x pass through
the point (a, 0) a ≠ 0, then ‘a’ must be greater than :

A. 1/2
JEE Main 2021
B. -1/2

C. -1

D. 1
Shortest Distance
If P is a point on the parabola y = x2 + 4 which is closest to the straight line
y = 4x - 1, then the coordinates of P are :

A. (-2, 8)

B. (1, 5)
JEE Main 2021
C. (3, 13)

D. (2, 8)
Pole and Polar
Polar & Pole :
Let P be any point inside or outside a parabola. Suppose a straight line
drawn through P intersect the parabola at Q and R. Then the locus of
point of intersection of the tangents to the parabola at Q and R is
called the polar of given P with respect to the parabola and point P is
called the pole of the polar.

Equation of the Polar of the point P(x1, y1) w.r.t. the parabola y2 = 4ax is
y y1 = 2a(x + x1)
Polar & Pole :
Note :
The polar of the focus of the parabola is the directrix.
Diameter of Parabola
Diameter of a Parabola :
Diameter of a conic is the locus of middle points of a series of its
parallel chords.
Equation of diameter of a Parabola :
Properties of Parabola
Properties of Parabola :
1. Circle described on focal length as diameter touches Tangent at vertex
Properties of Parabola :
2. Circle described on focal chord as diameter touches directrix
Properties of Parabola :
3. Reflection Property
Properties of Parabola :
4. Tangent at the extremities of focal chord intersect at right angle on
directrix
Properties of Parabola :
5. The portion of tangent to the parabola intercepted between directrix and
the curve subtends a right angle at focus
JEE Adv. 2021
Properties of Parabola :
6. The foot of perpendicular from focus on any tangent to parabola lies of
tangent at vertex
Properties of Parabola :
7. The area of triangle formed by three points on a parabola is twice the
area of triangle formed by tangents at these points
JEE Adv. 2011
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