Find the points of intersection of a line and a circle

MHB
Thread starter penguin_alexa
Start date May 8, 2020
Tags

Circle Intersection Line Points

In summary, the most common method for finding the points of intersection between a line and a circle is to use the quadratic formula. Other methods include the elimination and substitution methods. The points of intersection represent where the line intersects with the circumference of the circle. If the line is tangent to the circle, there will only be one point of intersection. If the circle is inside the line, they do not intersect, but the equation of the line and the coordinates of the circle's center can still be found.

May 8, 2020

penguin_alexa

How do I algebraically prove how many times the line y=-5 intersects the circle (x-3)^2 + (y+2)^2 =25?

Mathematics news on Phys.org

May 8, 2020

cbarker1

Gold Member

MHB

What do you think you should do with y?

May 8, 2020

kaliprasad

Gold Member

MHB

you can put y = -5 to solve for x

we get $(x-3)^2 + (-5+2)^2 = (x-3)^3+ 9 = 25$ or $(x-3)^2 = 16$
now you can solve to get x = 3 + 4 = 7 or 3-4 = - 1 so it intersects at 2 points (7,-5) and (-1,-5)

1. What is the formula for finding the points of intersection between a line and a circle?

The formula for finding the points of intersection between a line and a circle is to substitute the equation of the line into the equation of the circle. This will result in a quadratic equation, which can be solved using the quadratic formula.

2. How many points of intersection can a line and a circle have?

A line and a circle can have either 0, 1, or 2 points of intersection. If the line is tangent to the circle, there will be 1 point of intersection. If the line is a secant, there will be 2 points of intersection. If the line does not intersect the circle at all, there will be 0 points of intersection.

3. Can a line and a circle have more than 2 points of intersection?

No, a line and a circle can only have a maximum of 2 points of intersection. This is because a circle is a two-dimensional shape and a line is a one-dimensional shape, so they can only intersect at a maximum of 2 points.

4. How can I visually determine the points of intersection between a line and a circle?

You can determine the points of intersection between a line and a circle by graphing the equations and looking for where they intersect. The coordinates of the intersection points will be the points of intersection between the line and the circle.

5. Are there any special cases when finding the points of intersection between a line and a circle?

Yes, there are a few special cases to consider when finding the points of intersection between a line and a circle. If the line is parallel to the circle, there will be no points of intersection. If the line is coincident with the circle, there will be an infinite number of points of intersection. Additionally, if the line and the circle have the same center, there will be an infinite number of points of intersection.