Page 1
JEE Main Previous Year Questions (2021-2026):
Ellipse
(January 2026)
Q1: An ellipse has its center at (1, -2), one focus at (3, -2) and one vertex at (5,
-2). Then the length of its latus rectum is:
A: 6
B: 6v3
C: 16/v3
D: 4v3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Given
Center of ellipse : (1, -2)
Focus : (3, -2)
Vertex : (5, -2)
The center, focus, and vertex all have the same y-coordinate (-2), which means the
major axis of the ellipse is horizontal (parallel to the x-axis).
Find a (semi-major axis)
Distance from center to vertex :
a = |5 - 1| = 4
Page 2
JEE Main Previous Year Questions (2021-2026):
Ellipse
(January 2026)
Q1: An ellipse has its center at (1, -2), one focus at (3, -2) and one vertex at (5,
-2). Then the length of its latus rectum is:
A: 6
B: 6v3
C: 16/v3
D: 4v3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Given
Center of ellipse : (1, -2)
Focus : (3, -2)
Vertex : (5, -2)
The center, focus, and vertex all have the same y-coordinate (-2), which means the
major axis of the ellipse is horizontal (parallel to the x-axis).
Find a (semi-major axis)
Distance from center to vertex :
a = |5 - 1| = 4
Find c (distance from center to focus)
c = |3 - 1| = 2
Find b using ellipse relation
c² = a² - b²
? 2² = 4² - b²
? 4 = 16 - b²
? b² = 12
? b = 2v3
Length of latus rectum
For an ellipse :
Length of latus rectum = 2b²/a
= 2(12)/4 = 6
Q2: Let the length of the latus rectum of an ellipse x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b), be 30. If
its eccentricity is the maximum value of the function
is equal to
A: 276
B: 516
C: 256
D: 496
Answer: D
Explanation:
Page 3
JEE Main Previous Year Questions (2021-2026):
Ellipse
(January 2026)
Q1: An ellipse has its center at (1, -2), one focus at (3, -2) and one vertex at (5,
-2). Then the length of its latus rectum is:
A: 6
B: 6v3
C: 16/v3
D: 4v3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Given
Center of ellipse : (1, -2)
Focus : (3, -2)
Vertex : (5, -2)
The center, focus, and vertex all have the same y-coordinate (-2), which means the
major axis of the ellipse is horizontal (parallel to the x-axis).
Find a (semi-major axis)
Distance from center to vertex :
a = |5 - 1| = 4
Find c (distance from center to focus)
c = |3 - 1| = 2
Find b using ellipse relation
c² = a² - b²
? 2² = 4² - b²
? 4 = 16 - b²
? b² = 12
? b = 2v3
Length of latus rectum
For an ellipse :
Length of latus rectum = 2b²/a
= 2(12)/4 = 6
Q2: Let the length of the latus rectum of an ellipse x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b), be 30. If
its eccentricity is the maximum value of the function
is equal to
A: 276
B: 516
C: 256
D: 496
Answer: D
Explanation:
= (16)² + 15 × 16
= 256 + 240 = 496
Q3: Let each of the two ellipses E 1 : x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b) and E 2 : x²/A² + y²/B² =
1, (A < B) have eccentricity 4/5. Let the lengths of the latus recta of E 1 and E 2 be l 1
and l 2, respectively, such that 2l 1² = 9l 2. If the distance between the foci of E 1 is 8,
then the distance between the foci of E 2 is
A: 96/5
B: 8/5
C: 16/5
D: 32/5
Page 4
JEE Main Previous Year Questions (2021-2026):
Ellipse
(January 2026)
Q1: An ellipse has its center at (1, -2), one focus at (3, -2) and one vertex at (5,
-2). Then the length of its latus rectum is:
A: 6
B: 6v3
C: 16/v3
D: 4v3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Given
Center of ellipse : (1, -2)
Focus : (3, -2)
Vertex : (5, -2)
The center, focus, and vertex all have the same y-coordinate (-2), which means the
major axis of the ellipse is horizontal (parallel to the x-axis).
Find a (semi-major axis)
Distance from center to vertex :
a = |5 - 1| = 4
Find c (distance from center to focus)
c = |3 - 1| = 2
Find b using ellipse relation
c² = a² - b²
? 2² = 4² - b²
? 4 = 16 - b²
? b² = 12
? b = 2v3
Length of latus rectum
For an ellipse :
Length of latus rectum = 2b²/a
= 2(12)/4 = 6
Q2: Let the length of the latus rectum of an ellipse x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b), be 30. If
its eccentricity is the maximum value of the function
is equal to
A: 276
B: 516
C: 256
D: 496
Answer: D
Explanation:
= (16)² + 15 × 16
= 256 + 240 = 496
Q3: Let each of the two ellipses E 1 : x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b) and E 2 : x²/A² + y²/B² =
1, (A < B) have eccentricity 4/5. Let the lengths of the latus recta of E 1 and E 2 be l 1
and l 2, respectively, such that 2l 1² = 9l 2. If the distance between the foci of E 1 is 8,
then the distance between the foci of E 2 is
A: 96/5
B: 8/5
C: 16/5
D: 32/5
Answer: D
Explanation:
Given, for ellipse E 1 and E 2 eccentricity is 4/5.
E 1 : x²/a² + y²/b² = 1 a > b
distance between foci = 8
2ae = 8 ? ae = 4
? a × 4/5 = 4 ? a = 5
Length of latus rectum for E 1, l 1 = 2b²/a
l 1 = 2 × 3²/5 = 18/5
For E 2 : x²/A² + y²/B² = 1 (A < B)
eccentricity e = 4/5
Page 5
JEE Main Previous Year Questions (2021-2026):
Ellipse
(January 2026)
Q1: An ellipse has its center at (1, -2), one focus at (3, -2) and one vertex at (5,
-2). Then the length of its latus rectum is:
A: 6
B: 6v3
C: 16/v3
D: 4v3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Given
Center of ellipse : (1, -2)
Focus : (3, -2)
Vertex : (5, -2)
The center, focus, and vertex all have the same y-coordinate (-2), which means the
major axis of the ellipse is horizontal (parallel to the x-axis).
Find a (semi-major axis)
Distance from center to vertex :
a = |5 - 1| = 4
Find c (distance from center to focus)
c = |3 - 1| = 2
Find b using ellipse relation
c² = a² - b²
? 2² = 4² - b²
? 4 = 16 - b²
? b² = 12
? b = 2v3
Length of latus rectum
For an ellipse :
Length of latus rectum = 2b²/a
= 2(12)/4 = 6
Q2: Let the length of the latus rectum of an ellipse x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b), be 30. If
its eccentricity is the maximum value of the function
is equal to
A: 276
B: 516
C: 256
D: 496
Answer: D
Explanation:
= (16)² + 15 × 16
= 256 + 240 = 496
Q3: Let each of the two ellipses E 1 : x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, (a > b) and E 2 : x²/A² + y²/B² =
1, (A < B) have eccentricity 4/5. Let the lengths of the latus recta of E 1 and E 2 be l 1
and l 2, respectively, such that 2l 1² = 9l 2. If the distance between the foci of E 1 is 8,
then the distance between the foci of E 2 is
A: 96/5
B: 8/5
C: 16/5
D: 32/5
Answer: D
Explanation:
Given, for ellipse E 1 and E 2 eccentricity is 4/5.
E 1 : x²/a² + y²/b² = 1 a > b
distance between foci = 8
2ae = 8 ? ae = 4
? a × 4/5 = 4 ? a = 5
Length of latus rectum for E 1, l 1 = 2b²/a
l 1 = 2 × 3²/5 = 18/5
For E 2 : x²/A² + y²/B² = 1 (A < B)
eccentricity e = 4/5
Q4: If the points of intersection of the ellipses x² + 2y² - 6x - 12y + 23 = 0 and
4x² + 2y² - 20x - 12y + 35 = 0 lie on a circle of radius r and centre (a, b), then the
value of ab + 18r² is:
A: 53
B: 52
C: 55
D: 51
Answer: C
Explanation:
Let the given ellipses be :
S 1 = x² + 2y² - 6x - 12y + 23 = 0 S 2 = 4x² + 2y² - 20x - 12y + 35 = 0
The equation of a curve passing through the intersection of these two ellipses is given
by the family of curves S 1 + ?S 2 = 0 :
(x² + 2y² - 6x - 12y + 23) + ?(4x² + 2y² - 20x - 12y + 35) = 0
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