- #1
Saracen Rue
- 150
- 10
Homework Statement
3 tangents intersect a circle of unknown proportions, forming an equilateral triangle.
a) Represent this on a Cartesian Plane, with the center of the circle situated at the origin
b) Prove that the intersections with the circle are the midpoints of the tangents (assume the tangents terminate once they form the triangle).
c) Calculate the percentage area of the triangle which is not part of the circle
Homework Equations
No equations were given. I was, however, told I needed to know basic area formulae and have an understanding of the unit circle.
The Attempt at a Solution
I can do part a) easily enough, but I can't figure out how to do either of the next two questions. My guess is that I need to find a way to represent the length of the tangent's point of interception with the circle to the end of the tangent, then prove that the full length of the tangent is double that. How I would go about doing that - assuming it is even the correct way to be think about this - is beyond me. Similarly with the last part, I need to find a way to represent the area of the circle in terms of the area of the triangle, but how I would do this with no numbers given at all is unbeknownst to me.