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Determine if the line segment YX is tangent to circle Z. 30 points

Determine if the line segment YX is tangent to circle Z. 30 points-example-1

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Answer:

XY is tangent to circle Z

Explanation:

You want to know if segment XY, measuring 3.6 units, is tangent to circle Z at point X. Segment YZ has length 1.8 units outside the circle, which has radius 2.7 units.

Pythagorean relation

If the triangle XYZ is a right triangle, then we have ...

XY² +XZ² = YZ²

3.6² +2.7² = (1.8 +2.7)²

12.96 +7.29 = 20.25 . . . . . true

Segment XY is a tangent.

Secant relation

If segment YZ is extended across the circle, the lengths of the segments from Y to the circle intersection points are 1.8 and (1.8 +2·2.7) = 7.2. The relation between the secant and the "tangent" will be ...

3.6² = (1.8)(7.2) . . . . . true

This means XY is a tangent.

User Scott Neville
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