Question 20·Hard·Circles
In the -plane, a circle is tangent to the -axis and its center lies on the line . If the center of the circle is in the first quadrant and the circle passes through the point , what is the length of the circle’s radius?
When a circle is tangent to an axis and its center lies on a line, introduce the radius and use tangency to relate to the center's coordinates, then plug that into the line equation to express the center entirely in terms of . Write the distance from this center to the given point on the circle using the distance formula, set it equal to , solve the resulting quadratic, and finally use any quadrant or sign conditions to eliminate extraneous solutions.
Hints
Relate tangency to the coordinates of the center
Let the radius be . Because the circle is tangent to the -axis and the center is above the axis (first quadrant), what is the -coordinate of the center in terms of ?
Use the line containing the center
Use the fact that the center lies on the line . Substitute the -coordinate you found (in terms of ) into this equation to express the center's -coordinate in terms of .
Set up and solve the distance equation
Once you can write the center as , apply the distance formula between this point and , set that distance equal to , and solve the resulting quadratic equation. Then use the condition that the center is in the first quadrant to decide which of the two possible -values is valid.
Desmos Guide
Graph the equation relating the radius to the point
From the algebra, the radius must satisfy . In Desmos, graph the two functions by typing y = x^2 in one line and y = 2(4 - x)^2 in another; the -values where these graphs intersect are the solutions to this equation.
Identify the possible radii
Click on each intersection point of the two parabolas and note the -coordinates; these are the two positive values that both satisfy the distance equation and are candidates for the radius.
Apply the first-quadrant condition
In a new expression line, type 10 - x and evaluate it at each intersection -value. Only the -value for which 10 - x is positive makes the center lie in the first quadrant; that -value is the circle's radius.
Step-by-step Explanation
Express the center of the circle in terms of the radius
Let the radius be . Because the circle is tangent to the -axis and its center is in the first quadrant, the vertical distance from the center to the -axis is , so the center's -coordinate is .
The center also lies on the line . Substituting gives
Solving for gives , so we can write the center as .
Use the distance formula with the point on the circle
Because the point lies on the circle, the distance from the center to must equal the radius .
Using the distance formula,
Simplify to :
Since , this becomes
Simplify to a quadratic equation in the radius
Now expand :
Substitute into :
Distribute the 2:
Move all terms to one side to get a quadratic equation:
Solve the quadratic and use the first-quadrant condition
Apply the quadratic formula to .
The discriminant is
So
Since , this simplifies to
The center is and must be in the first quadrant, so both coordinates must be positive. If , then is negative, so that radius is not valid. If , both and are positive, so the radius of the circle is .