A cabinetmaker wants to build a table with an elliptic top.

[sunflower]

A cabinetmaker wants to build a table with an elliptic top. It is to be 120 inches long and 50 inches wide at its widest point. He uses two pins and a string to draw the top. Where should he put the pins, and how long should the string be?

 

[stapel]

A cabinetmaker wants to build a table with an elliptic top. It is to be 120 inches long and 50 inches wide at its widest point. He uses two pins and a string to draw the top. Where should he put the pins, and how long should the string be?

From the given information, what are the lengths of the major and minor axes? So what are the values of "a" and "b"? Where can you go from this?