Form 4 Chapter 8: Circles III

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 A tangent to a circle
- a straight line which touches the circle at only one point
- perpendicular to the radius at the point of contact

A B
AB = tangent to the circle
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 Constructing tangents to a circle
The diagram below shows a circle with centre O.
Construct the tangent to the circle at the point P.

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 1:
Draw a straight line
joining point P and
P
centre O.

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 2:
Adjust your compasses
so that its radius is P
slightly more than half of
the length of OP.
O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 3:
Place your compasses at P.
On the line OP, draw one P
point on both sides of P.

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 4:
Place your compasses
at one of the point on the P
line OP, draw an arc
above and below the line
OP. O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 5:
With the same radius
and another point on P
line OP as centre,
draw another two
arcs to intersect the O
ones drawn in step 4.

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 6:
Join the two intersections Tangen
with a straight line. P
t at P

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 Constructing tangents to a circle
The diagram below shows a circle with centre O.
Construct two tangents to the circle that pass
through the point T.

T
O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 1:
Draw a straight line
joining point T and
centre O.
T
O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 2:
Adjust your
compasses so that its
radius is slightly more
than half of the length T
of OT. O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 3:
Place your compasses
at T. Draw a short arc
above and below the
line OT.
T
O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 4:
With the same radius
and your compasses
placed at O, draw
arcs to intersect the T
ones drawn in Step 3. O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 5:
Join the two
intersections with a
straight line.
T
O

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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 6:
Label the midpoint as
M. Using M as the P
centre and OM as the
radius, draw two arcs T
that cut the circle at P O M
and Q.
Q
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 Constructing tangents to a circle

Solution:

Step 7:
Join points P
and Q to point T. P

Lines PT and QT T
are tangents to the O M
circle that pass
through point T Q
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Properties related to two tangents to a circle

P
PT = QT

y°
x°  PTO =  OTQ
T
O y° x°
 POT =  QOT

Q ∆POT and ∆QOT

are congruent.

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