Difference between revisions of "1959 AHSME Problems/Problem 32"

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== Solution ==
 
== Solution ==
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<asy>
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import geometry;
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point O=(0,0);
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point A=(5,0);
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point B,T;
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circle c=circle(O,3);
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markscalefactor=0.05;
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// Circle, segment OA
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draw(c);
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dot(O);
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label("O",O,NW);
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dot(A);
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label("A",A,NE);
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draw(O--A);
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// Segments OT, OA
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line[] t1=tangents(c,A);
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pair[] t=intersectionpoints(t1[0], c);
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T=t[0];
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dot(t[0]);
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label("T",T,SE);
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draw(A--T--O);
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draw(rightanglemark(A,T,O));
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// Point B
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pair[] b=intersectionpoints((O--A),c);
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B=b[0];
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dot("B",B,NE);
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// Length labels
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label("$r$",midpoint(O--T),SW);
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label("$r$",midpoint(O--B),N);
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label("$\frac{4}{3}r$",midpoint(A--T),SE);
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</asy>
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<math>\fbox{C}</math>
 
<math>\fbox{C}</math>
 
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Revision as of 21:08, 20 July 2024

Problem

The length $l$ of a tangent, drawn from a point $A$ to a circle, is $\frac43$ of the radius $r$. The (shortest) distance from A to the circle is: $\textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{2}r \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ r\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac{1}{2}l\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac23l \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{a value between r and l.}$

Solution

[asy]  import geometry;  point O=(0,0); point A=(5,0); point B,T;  circle c=circle(O,3);  markscalefactor=0.05;  // Circle, segment OA draw(c); dot(O); label("O",O,NW); dot(A); label("A",A,NE); draw(O--A);  // Segments OT, OA line[] t1=tangents(c,A); pair[] t=intersectionpoints(t1[0], c); T=t[0]; dot(t[0]); label("T",T,SE); draw(A--T--O); draw(rightanglemark(A,T,O));  // Point B pair[] b=intersectionpoints((O--A),c); B=b[0]; dot("B",B,NE);  // Length labels label("$r$",midpoint(O--T),SW); label("$r$",midpoint(O--B),N); label("$\frac{4}{3}r$",midpoint(A--T),SE);  [/asy]

$\fbox{C}$

See also

1959 AHSC (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 31
Followed by
Problem 33
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All AHSME Problems and Solutions

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