Final answer:
The numerical value of the eccentricity of an ellipse changes as the shape of the ellipse approaches a straight line.
Step-by-step explanation:
The numerical value of "e", which represents the eccentricity of an ellipse, changes as the shape of the ellipse approaches a straight line.
The eccentricity of an ellipse is calculated by dividing the distance between the foci by half the length of the major axis.
As the shape of the ellipse becomes more elongated or stretched out, the eccentricity approaches a value of 1.