The radii of the two circles are 5 cm and 10 cm and the distance between their centers is 17 cm. Find the length of the transverse common tangent.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 i.e. 8 cm.
We know that,
Length of transverse common tangent = √(d2 - (r1 + r2)2
here, d is the distance between the centers of the two circles, and r1 and r2 are the radius of the two circles
Now,
Length = √(172 - (5 + 10)2
⇒ √(289 - (15)2
⇒ √(289 - 225)
⇒ √64 = 8
Thus,
The length of the transverse common tangent is 8 cm.