Find the locus of the centre of the circle described on any focal chord of aparabola as

diameter.

Solution:

Let the equation of the parabola be y
2
= 4ax.

Let t
1
, t
2
be the extremities of the focal chord. Then t1 . t2 = 1.

The equation of the circle on t1, t2 as diameter is

(x at
2
2
) (x at
2
2
) + (y 2at
1
) (y 2at
2
) = 0

or x
2
+ y
2
ax (t
1
2
+ t
2
2
) 2ay (t
1
+ t
2
) + a
2
t
1
2 t
1
2
+ 4a
2
t
1
t
2
= 0

x
2
+ y
2
ax (t
1
2
+ t
2
2
) 2ay (t
1
+ t
2
) 3a
2
= 0. ( t
1
t
2
= 1)

If (,) be the centre of the circle, then = a/2 (t
1
2
+t
2
2
) If (, ) be the centre of the
circle, then = a/2 (t
1
2
+t
2
2
)

= a (t
1
+ t
2
) (t
1
+ t
2
)
2
=
2
/a
2
t
1
2
+ t
2
2
+ 2t
1
t
2
=
2
/a
2
2/a-2=
2
/a
2


2a 2a
2
=
2

2
= 2a ( a).

Hence locus of (, ) is y
2
= 2a(x a).
Find the Length of the chord intercepted by the parabola y
2
= 4ax from the line y = mx + c.
Also find its mid-point. Solution:

Simply by applying the formula o length of the joining (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) we get,

Length of the chord = ((x
1
-x
2
)
2
+(y
1
-y
2
)
2
)

= ((x
1
-x
2
)
2
+m
2
(x
1
-x
2
)
2
)

= |x
1
x
2
| (1+m
2
) = 4 (a(a-mc) ) (1+m
2
)

[ x
1
+x
2
=(-2(m-2a) )/m
2
and x
1
x
2
=c
2
/m
2
]

The midpoint of the chord is ((2a-mc)/m
2
,2a/m)
The equation of the chord of the parabola y
2
= 4ax with mid point

(x
1
, y
1
) is T = S
1
.

(i) The tangent at any point P on a parabola bisects the angle between the focal chord
through P and the perpendicular from P on the directrix.

The tangent at P (at
2
, 2at) is ty = x + at
2
.

It meets the x-axis at T(at
2
, 0).

Hence ST = a (1 + t
2
).

Also, SP = (a
2
(1+t
2
)
2
+4a
2
t
2
) = a(1 + t
2
) = ST, so that

MPT = PTS = SPT TP bisects SPM.
Co-normal Points:

The three points on the parabola, the normals at which pass through a common point,
are called the co-normal points.
SUBTANGENT AND SUBNORMAL TO PARABOLA
Let the tangent and normal at any point
P (x
1
, y
1
) on the parabola y
2
= 4ax meet the axis in T and G
respectively. Then PT is called the length of the tangent at
P and PG is called the length of the normal at P.
NT is called the subtangent and NG the subnormal at P.
The coordinates of T and G can be easily found by putting
x = 0 in the equations of the tangent and normal at P. It is
evident from figure that
Subtangent = NT = twice the abscissa of P
Subnormal = NG = 2a = semilatus rectum

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