A circle has an eccentricity of __________ and a line has an eccentricity of __________.
A) 1; 0
B) 1; 1
C) 0; infinity
D) 0; 1

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eccentricity is a measure of how "oval-shaped" or "elongated" a conic section is. A circle is perfectly symmetrical and is not elongated in any way, so its eccentricity is 0. A line is infinitely long and thin, so it is also not elongated in any way, but its eccentricity is undefined or infinity. Therefore, the only answer choice that matches these facts is D, with a circle having an eccentricity of 0 and a line having an eccentricity of 1.

A Circle Has an Eccentricity of __________ and a Line