Question

A chord in circle T has a length of 16 cm and the diameter of the circle 20 cm. How far is the chord from the center of the circle

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation

First, let us make a sketch of the circle:

Since the diameter of the circle is 20 cm, the radius of the circle is 10 cm, as shown above.

The two radii and the chord of the circle form a triangle. Also, the distance from the center to the chord forms a right triangle with the radius and half the length of the chord:

Now, we can solve for d by applying the Pythagoras theorem:

`10^2=d^2+8^2`

Solve for d:

That is the distance from the chord to the center of the circle.