Answer: √2.
- A 1
- B √2
- C 2
- D √3
Correct answer: B. √2
Explanation: For a rectangular hyperbola a = b, so e = √(1 + b²/a²) = √2.
All four conics form a single family distinguished only by eccentricity: a circle is the most "closed" (e=0), an ellipse is an elongated closed curve, a parabola is the borderline open curve (e=1), and a hyperbola has two separate open branches (e>1).
Concept context
Study circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas as curves formed by intersecting a plane with a double cone, with their standard equations and key properties.