minor axis

The minor axis is a geometric term related to an ellipse. It is defined as the chord that passes through the center of the ellipse and is perpendicular to the major axis. The major axis is the longest diameter of the ellipse, passing through both foci and extending to the curve's edges. The minor axis, therefore, represents the shortest diameter of the ellipse. The ellipse is symmetrical about both its major and minor axes. The length of the minor axis is often referred to as 2b, where b is the semiminor axis, which is half the length of the minor axis.123