What is the angular coefficient of the tangent line to two circumferences?

[Taturana]

Homework Statement

Find the angular coefficient of the line that is tangent to the following circumferences:
(x - 17)^{2} + y^{2} = 16
x^{2} + y^{2} = 16

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried everything but nothing is working, please help me.

 

[Mark44]

Homework Statement

Find the angular coefficient of the line that is tangent to the following circumferences:
(x - 17)^{2} + y^{2} = 16
x^{2} + y^{2} = 16

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried everything but nothing is working, please help me.

What did you try? Have you drawn a picture of the two circles (not circumferences)?

By "angular coefficient" do you mean slope?

 

[Taturana]

What did you try? Have you drawn a picture of the two circles (not circumferences)?

By "angular coefficient" do you mean slope?

Yeh I mean slope.

here is a picture:

[PLAIN]http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/2910/58393508.png

I tried to make a system of equations such that: the distance between the center of the circumferences and the line is equal to 4 (that is the radius of the circumferences). But I end up to something like |17a + c| = |c| (considering the line as ax + by + c = 0), but it doesn't help me.

I tried to make two systems:
1: using the equation of the first circumference and the equation of the line
2: using the equation of the second circumference and the equation of the line
then I shared some variables between these systems (a and b, considering y = ax + b as the line). But the equations become very complicated and I think it's not the easiest way.

Someone can help me?

 

[Dick]

Writing equations probably isn't the easiest way to solve it. Why don't you draw some right triangles in your picture?

 

[Taturana]

Writing equations probably isn't the easiest way to solve it. Why don't you draw some right triangles in your picture?

Thank you, you helped me alot, now I solved.

 

[Mark44]

I hope you realize that there is not just one tangent line that touches the circles. I count four of them.