MCQMediumJEE 2025Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola)

JEE Mathematics 2025 Question with Solution

Let the foci of a hyperbola be (1,14)(1, 14) and (1,12)(1, -12). If it passes through the point (1,6)(1, 6), then the length of its latus-rectum is:

  • A

    256\frac{25}{6}

  • B

    245\frac{24}{5}

  • C

    2885\frac{288}{5}

  • D

    1445\frac{144}{5}

Answer

Correct answer:C

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: The foci are (1,14)(1,14) and (1,12)(1,-12), and the hyperbola passes through (1,6)(1,6). Find: The length of the latus-rectum.

The foci lie on the vertical line x=1x=1, so the transverse axis is vertical. The centre is the midpoint of the foci:

(1,14+(12)2)=(1,1)(1,\tfrac{14+(-12)}{2})=(1,1)

Also, the distance between the foci is 2626, so

2c=26c=132c=26 \Rightarrow c=13

For a vertical hyperbola with centre (1,1)(1,1), the equation is

(y1)2a2(x1)2b2=1\frac{(y-1)^2}{a^2}-\frac{(x-1)^2}{b^2}=1

with

c2=a2+b2c^2=a^2+b^2

Since the point (1,6)(1,6) lies on the hyperbola, substituting gives

(61)2a20=1\frac{(6-1)^2}{a^2}-0=1 25a2=1a2=25a=5\frac{25}{a^2}=1 \Rightarrow a^2=25 \Rightarrow a=5

Now,

b2=c2a2=13252=16925=144b^2=c^2-a^2=13^2-5^2=169-25=144

For the hyperbola (y1)2a2(x1)2b2=1\dfrac{(y-1)^2}{a^2}-\dfrac{(x-1)^2}{b^2}=1, the length of each latus-rectum is

2b2a\frac{2b^2}{a}

Therefore,

length=21445=2885\text{length} = \frac{2\cdot 144}{5}=\frac{288}{5}

So, the length of the latus-rectum is 2885\frac{288}{5}, and the correct option is C.

Using eccentricity relation from the extracted working

Given: The foci are (1,14)(1,14) and (1,12)(1,-12). Find: The length of the latus-rectum.

From the extracted working, the midpoint of the foci gives the centre (1,1)(1,1) and hence

c=13c=13

The point (1,6)(1,6) is on the hyperbola, so the distance from the centre to this vertex-side point is

a=61=5a=|6-1|=5

Thus,

a2=25a^2=25

Using

c2=a2+b2c^2=a^2+b^2

we get

b2=13252=16925=144b^2=13^2-5^2=169-25=144

Hence the latus-rectum length is

2b2a=21445=2885\frac{2b^2}{a}=\frac{2\cdot 144}{5}=\frac{288}{5}

The extracted first approach states 2a2b\frac{2a^2}{b}, but that formula does not match the hyperbola obtained here. The correct computation from the full working gives 2885\frac{288}{5}. Therefore, the correct option is C.

Common mistakes

  • Using the ellipse relation c2=a2b2c^2=a^2-b^2 instead of the hyperbola relation c2=a2+b2c^2=a^2+b^2 is incorrect. For a hyperbola, always use c2=a2+b2c^2=a^2+b^2 before finding the latus-rectum.

  • Taking the centre as one of the foci is wrong. The centre is the midpoint of the two foci, so here it is (1,1)(1,1), not (1,14)(1,14) or (1,12)(1,-12).

  • Using the wrong latus-rectum formula causes an incorrect result. For (yk)2a2(xh)2b2=1\dfrac{(y-k)^2}{a^2}-\dfrac{(x-h)^2}{b^2}=1, the latus-rectum length is 2b2a\dfrac{2b^2}{a}, not 2a2b\dfrac{2a^2}{b}.

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