Parametric Equations

In a rectangular coordinate system, you will recall, a point in the plane is represented by an ordered pair of number (x,y), where x and y equal the signed distance of the point from the y-axis and the x-axis respectively. In a polar coordinate system, we select a point, called the pole, and then a ray with vertex at the pole, called the polar axis. Comparing the rectangular and polar coordinate systems, we see that the origin in rectangular coordinates coincides with the pole in polar coordinates, and the positive x-axis in rectangular coordinates coincides with the polar axis in polar coordinates.

Parametric Equations

Sketching a Plane Curve The way to sketch a curve represented by a pair of parametric equations is to plot points in the xy-plane. Each set of coordinates (x,y) is determined from a value chosen for the parameter t. By plotting the resulting points in the order of increasing values of t, you trace the curve in a specific direction. This is called the orientation of the curve. Sketch the curve given by the parametric equations. Describe the orientation of the curve.

Eliminating the Parameter Many curves that are represented by sets of parametric equations have graphs that can also be represented by rectangular equations (in x and y). The process of finding the rectangular equations called eliminating the parameter Parametric equations Solve for t in One equation Substitute In second equation Rectangular equation

Identify the curve represented by the equations.

So we have an ellipse centered at (0,0), with vertex (0,4) and (0,-4) and minor axis of length 2b=6