Conic Sections

    Circle and Line

       Condition of tangency - Condition for a line to be the tangent to a circle

         Condition for a line to be the tangent to the circle with the center at the origin O(0, 0)
         Condition for a line to be the tangent to the translated circle
       Tangents to a circle from a point outside the circle - use of the tangency condition

Condition of tangency - Condition for a line to be the tangent to a circle

Condition for a line to be the tangent to the circle with center at the origin O (0, 0)

A line touches a circle if the distance of the center of the circle to the line is equal to the radius of the circle, 
i.e., if d = r.

The distance of the center S (0, 0) of a circle  x2 + y2 = r2  from a line  y = mx + c  or  mx  + y  c = 0,

and after squaring obtained is   r2·(m2 + 1) = c2   the condition for a line  y = mx + c  to be a tangent to 
the circle  x2 + y2  = r2.

Condition for a line to be the tangent to the translated circle  (x  p)2 + (y  q)2 = r2

In this case, the distance d of the center S(p, q) of the circle to a line  mx  + y  c = 0
( or  y = mx + c ), must be equal to the radius r  of the circle, thus

after squaring obtained is   r2·(m2 + 1) = (q m p  c)2

the condition for a line  y = mx + c  to be a tangent to a translated circle with the center at S(p, q).

We can derive the same conditions using the tangency criteria which implies that the discriminant of the
system of equations of a line and a circle, in that case, must be zero.

Then will the system have only one solution, i.e., the line and the circle will have only one common point, the
tangency point. 

1)  The condition for a line  y = mx + c  to be tangent to the circle  x2 + y2  = r2,

    (1)    y = mx + c           plugging (1) into (2) gives the quadratic equation,
    (2)    x2 + y2 = r2                         (m2 + 1) · x2 + 2mc  · x + c2  r2 = 0   and according to the condition,
                               
D  = b2 4ac = 0 or   (mc)2 4(m2 + 1)(c2  r2) = 0 gives  r2·(m2 + 1) = c2  the tangency condition.

2)  The condition for a line  y = mx + c  to be tangent to the circle  (x  p)2 + (y  q)2 = r2,

    (1)    y = mx + c
    (2)    (x  p)2 + (y  q)2 = r2
                                                      
by plugging (1) into (2) obtained is   (m2 + 1) · x2 + 2(mc  mq p)  · x +  p2 + c2 + q2  r2 2cq = 0
then, from the condition  D = b2 4ac = 0 follows  r2·(m2 + 1) = (q m p  c)2  the tangency condition.

Tangents to a circle from a point outside the circle - use of the tangency condition

Example:  Find the angle between tangents drawn from the point A(1, 7) to the circle x2 + y2 = 25 .
Solution:   Equations of tangents we find from the system formed by equation of the line and the tangency
condition,

  A(1, 7) =>  (1)   y = mx + c  =>   c = m + 7  =>  (2)

                       (2)   r2·(m2 + 1) = c2   
                                                      
            25(m2 + 1) = (m + 7)2

12m2  7m  12  = 0 =>  m1 =  3/4  and   m2 = 4/3

c1 =  3/4 + 7  = 25/4  and   c2 = 4/3 + 7 = 25/3
therefore, the equations of tangents,
t1 ::  y =   (3/4)x + 25/4  and  t2 ::  y =  (4/3)x + 25/3.
Slopes of tangents satisfy perpendicularity condition, that is

m1 =  1/m2  =>     = 90°.

Example:   Find the area of the triangle made by points of contact of tangents, drawn from the point
A(15, 12) to the circle (x  5)2 + (y  2)2 = 20 , and the center S of the circle.
Solution:   From the system of equations formed by equation of the line through point A and the condition
of 
tangency for the circle with the center at S(p, q), we calculate slopes and intersections of tangents, thus 

A(15, 12) =>  (1)  y = mx + c,   c = 12  15m  =>  (2)
                     (2)   r2·(m2 + 1) = (q m p  c)2   
                                                                      
   S(5, 2)  and  r2  = 20   =>   (2)

20·(m2 + 1) = (2 5m  12 + 15m)2

2m2  5m + 2 = 0  =>   m1 = 1/2  and   m2 = 2,

 as  c = 12  15m  then  c1 = 9/2  and  c2 =   18
therefore, the equations of tangents,

t1 ::  y =  (1/2)x + 9/2   and   t2 ::  y =  2x 18.

Coordinates of the tangency points we calculate by solving system of equations formed by equations of
tangents and equation of the circle, thus

and the tangency point D2,

The area of the triangle SD1D2,

Example:   Given is a line  3x + y + 1 = 0 and the circle x2 + y2 6x 4y + 3  = 0, find equations of

tangents to the circle which are perpendicular to the line.

Solution:   Slopes of tangents are determined by condition of perpendicularity, therefore

y = 3x  1,    m  = 3  so that  mt  = 1/3

x2 + y2 6x 4 y + 3 = 0  =>   (x  3)2 + (y  2)2 = 10
Example: Find equations of the common tangents to circles x2 + y2 = 13 and (x + 2)2 + (y + 10)2 = 117.
Solution:   Slopes and intersections of common tangents to the circles must satisfy tangency condition of
both circles. Therefore, values for slopes m and intersections c we calculate from the system of equations,

The equation  10 + 2m  c = +3c  does not satisfy given conditions.

The equation  10 + 2m  c = 3c  or  c = 5  m  plugged into (1)

Therefore, the equations of the common tangents are,

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