Find the equation of the hyperbola where foci are (0,±12)(0, \pm 12) and the length of the latus rectum is 36

Answer: The equation of the hyperbola is y236−x2108=1\frac{y^2}{36} - \frac{x^2}{108} = 1.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Identify Foci and Standard Form

The given foci are (0,±12)(0, \pm 12). For a hyperbola, the foci are at (0,±c)(0, \pm c) for a vertical hyperbola, or (±c,0)(\pm c, 0) for a horizontal hyperbola. Since the xx -coordinate is 0, the foci are on the yy -axis, indicating a vertical hyperbola. Therefore, c=12c = 12. The standard equation for a vertical hyperbola centered at the origin is y2a2−x2b2=1\frac{y^2}{a^2} - \frac{x^2}{b^2} = 1.

Step 2: Use Latus Rectum Length

The length of the latus rectum for a hyperbola is given by the formula 2b2a\frac{2b^2}{a}. We are given that this length is 36. Setting up the equation, we get 2b2a=36\frac{2b^2}{a} = 36. Simplifying this equation, we find b2=18ab^2 = 18a.

Step 3: Relate a, b, and c

For a hyperbola, the relationship between aa, bb, and cc is c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2. We know c=12c = 12 and we found b2=18ab^2 = 18a. Substituting these values into the equation, we get 122=a2+18a12^2 = a^2 + 18a, which simplifies to 144=a2+18a144 = a^2 + 18a. Rearranging this into a standard quadratic form gives a2+18a−144=0a^2 + 18a - 144 = 0.

Step 4: Solve for 'a'

We solve the quadratic equation a2+18a−144=0a^2 + 18a - 144 = 0 for aa. Factoring the quadratic, we find (a+24)(a−6)=0(a + 24)(a - 6) = 0. This gives two possible values for aa: a=−24a = -24 or a=6a = 6. Since aa represents a distance, it must be positive, so we choose a=6a = 6.

Step 5: Calculate 'b²'

Now that we have a=6a = 6, we can find b2b^2 using the relationship b2=18ab^2 = 18a that we derived from the latus rectum length. Substituting a=6a = 6 into this equation, we get b2=18(6)b^2 = 18(6), which simplifies to b2=108b^2 = 108.

Step 6: Write the Equation of the Hyperbola

We have determined that a=6a = 6 (so a2=36a^2 = 36) and b2=108b^2 = 108. Substitute these values into the standard equation for a vertical hyperbola: y2a2−x2b2=1\frac{y^2}{a^2} - \frac{x^2}{b^2} = 1. This gives us the final equation of the hyperbola: y236−x2108=1\frac{y^2}{36} - \frac{x^2}{108} = 1.

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