CSCAPrep
Reviewed CSCA Mathematics question · Standard

What is the length of the major axis of the ellipse given by 4x^2 + 9y^2 = 36?

  1. 6
  2. 4
  3. 9
  4. 12
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer

A. 6

Principle or equation

For an ellipse in standard form x^2/a^2 + y^2/b^2 = 1 (with a > b), the major axis length is 2a.

Why this answer is correct

Divide both sides by 36: x^2/9 + y^2/4 = 1. Thus a^2 = 9, so a = 3. The major axis length is 2a = 6.

Example

For x^2/16 + y^2/9 = 1, major axis length is 8.

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