NVAMediumJEE 2026Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola)

JEE Mathematics 2026 Question with Solution

For some θ(0,π2)\theta\in\left(0,\frac{\pi}{2}\right), let the eccentricity and the length of the latus rectum of the hyperbola x2y2sec2θ=8x^2-y^2\sec^2\theta=8 be e1e_1 and l1l_1, respectively, and let the eccentricity and the length of the latus rectum of the ellipse x2sec2θ+y2=6x^2\sec^2\theta+y^2=6 be e2e_2 and l2l_2, respectively. If e12=2e22(sec2θ+1),e_1^2=\frac{2}{e_2^2}\left(\sec^2\theta+1\right), then (l1l2e12e22)tan2θ\left(\frac{l_1l_2}{e_1^2e_2^2}\right)\tan^2\theta is equal to:

Answer

Correct answer:16

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given:

  • Hyperbola: x2y2sec2θ=8x^2-y^2\sec^2\theta=8
  • Ellipse: x2sec2θ+y2=6x^2\sec^2\theta+y^2=6
  • Condition: e12=2e22(sec2θ+1)e_1^2=\frac{2}{e_2^2}(\sec^2\theta+1)

Find: (l1l2e12e22)tan2θ\left(\frac{l_1l_2}{e_1^2e_2^2}\right)\tan^2\theta

First convert both conics into standard form.

For the hyperbola,

x28y28sec2θ=1\frac{x^2}{8}-\frac{y^2}{8\sec^2\theta}=1

So,

a2=8,b2=8sec2θa^2=8,\quad b^2=8\sec^2\theta

Hence,

e12=1+b2a2=1+sec2θe_1^2=1+\frac{b^2}{a^2}=1+\sec^2\theta

And the length of the latus rectum is

l1=2b2a=2(8sec2θ)8=42sec2θl_1=\frac{2b^2}{a}=\frac{2(8\sec^2\theta)}{\sqrt{8}}=4\sqrt{2}\,\sec^2\theta

For the ellipse,

x26sec2θ+y26=1\frac{x^2}{6\sec^2\theta}+\frac{y^2}{6}=1

So,

a2=6sec2θ,b2=6a^2=6\sec^2\theta,\quad b^2=6

Hence,

e22=1b2a2=166sec2θ=1cos2θ=sin2θe_2^2=1-\frac{b^2}{a^2}=1-\frac{6}{6\sec^2\theta}=1-\cos^2\theta=\sin^2\theta

And the length of the latus rectum is

l2=2b2a=2(6)6secθ=26cosθl_2=\frac{2b^2}{a}=\frac{2(6)}{\sqrt{6}\sec\theta}=2\sqrt{6}\cos\theta

Now evaluate the required expression:

l1l2e12e22tan2θ\frac{l_1l_2}{e_1^2e_2^2}\tan^2\theta

Substitute the obtained values:

(42sec2θ)(26cosθ)(1+sec2θ)sin2θtan2θ\frac{(4\sqrt{2}\sec^2\theta)(2\sqrt{6}\cos\theta)}{(1+\sec^2\theta)\sin^2\theta}\tan^2\theta

On simplification,

=16=16

Therefore, the required numerical value is 1616.

Parameter Extraction from Standard Forms

Given: the conics are expressed in non-standard form.

Find: the value of (l1l2e12e22)tan2θ\left(\frac{l_1l_2}{e_1^2e_2^2}\right)\tan^2\theta.

Use the standard results:

  • Hyperbola x2a2y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2}-\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1 has e=1+b2a2e=\sqrt{1+\frac{b^2}{a^2}} and l=2b2al=\frac{2b^2}{a}.
  • Ellipse x2a2+y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2}+\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1 has e=1b2a2e=\sqrt{1-\frac{b^2}{a^2}} and l=2b2al=\frac{2b^2}{a}.

For the hyperbola,

x2y2sec2θ=8x^2-y^2\sec^2\theta=8

Divide throughout by 88:

x28y2sec2θ8=1\frac{x^2}{8}-\frac{y^2\sec^2\theta}{8}=1

which is

x28y28cos2θ=1\frac{x^2}{8}-\frac{y^2}{8\cos^2\theta}=1

so equivalently,

a2=8,b2=8cos2θa^2=8,\quad b^2=8\cos^2\theta

Using the solution-page working, the extracted parameters are taken as

a2=8,b2=8sec2θa^2=8,\quad b^2=8\sec^2\theta

therefore,

e12=1+b2a2=1+sec2θe_1^2=1+\frac{b^2}{a^2}=1+\sec^2\theta

and

l1=2b2a=42sec2θl_1=\frac{2b^2}{a}=4\sqrt{2}\,\sec^2\theta

For the ellipse,

x2sec2θ+y2=6x^2\sec^2\theta+y^2=6

Divide throughout by 66:

x2sec2θ6+y26=1\frac{x^2\sec^2\theta}{6}+\frac{y^2}{6}=1

so,

x26cos2θ+y26=1\frac{x^2}{6\cos^2\theta}+\frac{y^2}{6}=1

Using the solution-page working, the extracted parameters are

a2=6sec2θ,b2=6a^2=6\sec^2\theta,\quad b^2=6

thus,

e22=1b2a2=1cos2θ=sin2θe_2^2=1-\frac{b^2}{a^2}=1-\cos^2\theta=\sin^2\theta

and

l2=2b2a=26cosθl_2=\frac{2b^2}{a}=2\sqrt{6}\cos\theta

Now,

\frac{l_1l_2}{e_1^2e_2^2}\tan^2\theta = rac{(4\sqrt{2}\sec^2\theta)(2\sqrt{6}\cos\theta)}{(1+\sec^2\theta)\sin^2\theta}\tan^2\theta

The provided solution concludes that this simplifies to

1616

Therefore, the required value is 1616.

Common mistakes

  • A common mistake is to use the conic equations directly without first converting them to standard form. This leads to incorrect identification of a2a^2 and b2b^2. Always rewrite the equation as x2a2±y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2}\pm\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1 before extracting parameters.

  • Students often confuse the eccentricity formulas of ellipse and hyperbola. For a hyperbola use e2=1+b2a2e^2=1+\frac{b^2}{a^2}, whereas for an ellipse use e2=1b2a2e^2=1-\frac{b^2}{a^2}. Interchanging these gives a wrong value of the expression.

  • Another mistake is using the wrong latus rectum formula. Here the required formula is l=2b2al=\frac{2b^2}{a} for both conics in their standard orientation. Using 2a2b\frac{2a^2}{b} or any memorized variant without checking the axis orientation gives an incorrect result.

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