How to Make an Ellipse

Making an ellipse can get a little frustrating if you don’t get the right measurements even after making several mathematical calculations. You can try other simpler ways to make ellipse that are quicker too.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clips
• Wooden frame
• Sheet of paper
• 2 pins/nails
• Non-elastic thread
• Pencil

1. Decide the size of ellipse you want to make. Take a sheet of paper large enough to accommodate it.

2. Pin the paper to a wooden frame firmly using clips. This will ensure that the paper doesn’t move while you draw the ellipse.

3. Take a non-elastic thread. The length should be a little longer than double the major axis of the ellipse you intend to draw. The extra length will be used in tying the ends.

4. Tie the two ends of the thread. Note that when you stretch the thread at this point it will be equal to half of the major axis of the ellipse you want to draw.

5. Fix two pins and nail them in your paper at the place where you want to draw the ellipse. Make sure that the pins are equidistant from the center of the ellipse.

6. Note that the distance between the nails should be less than half of the length of the thread. The difference in the distance between the nails will affect the shape of the ellipse.

7. Loop the thread around the nails. Do not the tie it to the nails.

8. Hook a pencil in the thread. Make sure you use a sharpened pencil to get a sharp image.

9. Hold the pencil straight and stretch it against the thread.

10. Move it along the entire boundary to get the image of an ellipse. Make sure you do not let the thread loose at any point. You can get an accurate figure only this way.

11. Practice with different lengths of thread and with different distances between the nails.