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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Graphics

Junior Cycle Graphics: Ellipse

How often Ellipse comes up on the Graphics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Ellipse, Common Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Ellipse.

(a)What is the longest line across an ellipse, through its centre, called?
  1. Minor axis
  2. Major axis
  3. Normal
(b)How are the focal points of an ellipse found from its axes?
  1. Arc of the full major axis from the centre
  2. Arc of half the minor axis from an end of the major axis
  3. Arc of half the major axis from an end of the minor axis
(c)A round plate is seen at a slant, not face-on. What shape does its rim appear to be?
  1. An ellipse
  2. A semicircle
  3. A parabola
Show the answers

(a) Major axis

(b) Arc of half the major axis from an end of the minor axis

(c) An ellipse

Your turn: Common Level questions on Ellipse.

Common Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q4d
2025Q5e
2024Q4d, Q4e
2023Q5a, Q5d
2022Q6b, Q6d

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Ellipse questions

Ellipse, 3 marks

An ellipse has a major axis of 100 mm and a minor axis of 60 mm. How far is each focus from the centre?

  1. 30 mm
  2. 50 mm
  3. 40 mm
Show the answer

40 mm

An arc of radius 50 (half the major) from an end of the minor axis, 30 from the centre, cuts the major axis at c: c² = 50² − 30² = 1600, so c = 40 mm.

Ellipse, 3 marks

Concentric circles method: where a radial line cuts the major circle, you draw a line?

  1. Through the nearer focus
  2. Parallel to the minor axis
  3. Parallel to the major axis
Show the answer

Parallel to the minor axis

The major-circle point sets how far along the axis the ellipse point is, so go parallel to the minor axis. The minor-circle point sets its height: go parallel to the major axis.

Ellipse, 2 marks

Once the normal to an ellipse at P is drawn, how is the tangent at P drawn?

  1. At 90° to the normal, through P
  2. Through P and the centre
  3. Through P and a focus
Show the answer

At 90° to the normal, through P

Tangent and normal are always perpendicular at the point of contact. The tangent touches the ellipse only at P, just as a tangent to a circle does.

Other Graphics topics

All of Junior Cycle Graphics