To find the distance between the foci of an ellipse, we can use the formula:
c = √(a² – b²)
where:
- c is the distance from the center to each focus,
- a is half the length of the major axis, and
- b is half the length of the minor axis.
In this case, the major axis is 10 feet, so:
a = 10/2 = 5 feet
The minor axis is 6 feet, so:
b = 6/2 = 3 feet
Now we can plug these values into the formula:
c = √(5² – 3²)
c = √(25 – 9)
c = √16
c = 4 feet
The total distance between the two foci is twice the distance from the center to a focus:
Distance between foci = 2c = 2 * 4 = 8 feet
Therefore, the foci of this ellipse are 8 feet apart.