Example 1

Given our comments above, this equation yields an ellipse. We see that

and

and the graph of this ellipse is the following:

Note the relationship of a and b to the graph. We see that the value of a yields half the length of the major axis. Equivalently, we can say that the vertices are found by traveling down the major axis exactly a units from the center. We also see that half the length of the minor axis is exactly b.

What would happen if the 25 and 9 traded places? That is the subject of the next example.