Sourabh Singh
Last Activity: 9 Years ago
To find the equation of the circle that meets the given conditions, let's break down the problem step by step. We have a parabola defined by the equation \(y^2 = 4ax\), and the focus of this parabola is located at the point \(F(a, 0)\). The circle touches the parabola at point \(P\) and also intersects the axis of the parabola at point \(Q\). Moreover, the angle \(SPQ\) is a right angle, where \(S\) is the center of the circle.
Understanding the Geometry
First, let's visualize the scenario. The parabola opens to the right, with the vertex at the origin (0, 0). The focus, \(F\), is at \((a, 0)\), and the axis of the parabola (the line \(y = 0\)) is the horizontal line passing through the vertex and the focus.
Setting Up Points
Let’s denote the coordinates of point \(P\) where the circle touches the parabola. Since \(P\) lies on the parabola, we can express its coordinates as \(P(at^2, 2at)\) for some parameter \(t\). This parameterization comes from the general point on the parabola \(y^2 = 4ax\).
Circle Center and Radius
The center of the circle, \(S\), can be represented as \((h, k)\), and the radius can be denoted as \(r\). For the circle to pass through the focus \(F(a, 0)\), we use the distance formula:
Condition for Tangency
For the circle to be tangent to the parabola at point \(P\), the distance from the center \(S\) to point \(P\) must equal the radius \(r\). This gives us another equation:
Angle Condition
The right angle condition at \(SPQ\) implies that the vectors \(SP\) and \(SQ\) must be perpendicular. If \(Q\) is on the axis, its coordinates can be expressed as \(Q(x_Q, 0)\). The angle condition translates to the dot product of the vectors being zero:
- Vector \(SP\): \((at^2 - h, 2at - k)\)
- Vector \(SQ\): \((x_Q - h, 0 - k)\)
- Dot product: \((at^2 - h)(x_Q - h) + (2at - k)(0 - k) = 0\)
Deriving the Equations
Now we have a system of equations. From the distance conditions and the angle condition, we can solve for \(h\), \(k\), and \(r\). Since the circle is tangent to the parabola, we can also utilize the condition that the discriminant of the quadratic formed by substituting the circle equation into the parabola’s equation must equal zero (since it touches the parabola at exactly one point).
Final Equation of the Circle
After simplifying these conditions, we can derive the equation of the circle in the standard form:
(x - h)² + (y - k)² = r²
For the specific case where the angle \(SPQ = 90^\circ\) and the focus is involved, substituting the values appropriately will yield the final equation of the circle, typically needing numerical values for \(a\) or specific \(t\) values for a concrete answer.
Keep in mind that this process involves some algebraic manipulation and solving a quadratic equation. Each step ensures that all geometric properties are respected, leading us to the correct solution for the circle's equation.