A conic section is a curve formed by intersecting a plane and an infinite cone. Four such curves are possible: a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, and a hyperbola.
Using the Applet
Use the sliders to adjust the position and angle of the plane. The projections on the right show the resulting intersection between the plane and the cone from two positions.
About this Applet
This applet was created using JavaScript and the Raphael and three.js libraries. If you are unable to see the applet, make sure you have JavaScript enabled in your browser. This applet may not be supported by older browsers.