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Grade 11Analytical Geometry

Let a right angled triangle ABC has vertices on A,B on x axis and y axis also , vertex C with right angled is away from origin , also AB=5 , BC=3 and AC=4 . Then find locus of C if AB slides on coordinate axes .

Profile image of Tushar Sharma
4 Years agoGrade 11
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1 Answer

Profile image of Yogendra Kumar
4 Years ago

To find the locus of point C in the right-angled triangle ABC, where points A and B are located on the x-axis and y-axis respectively, and given the lengths AB = 5, BC = 3, and AC = 4, we can analyze the situation step by step.

Understanding Triangle Properties

Firstly, let's visualize the triangle ABC. Since A is on the x-axis and B is on the y-axis, we can assign coordinates as follows:

  • A = (a, 0)
  • B = (0, b)
  • C = (0, 0) + (x, y), where C is not fixed but depends on the values of a and b.

The length of line segment AB represents the distance between points A and B, which we can express using the distance formula:

AB = √((a - 0)² + (0 - b)²) = 5

This simplifies to the equation:

a² + b² = 25

Utilizing the Given Side Lengths

Next, since C is the right angle, we can apply the Pythagorean theorem for the sides AC and BC. From the coordinates:

  • AC = √((a - 0)² + (0 - 0)²) = a = 4
  • BC = √((0 - 0)² + (b - 0)²) = b = 3

However, we need to maintain the condition that AB = 5, which leads us to a contradiction. Therefore, we will consider C as a variable point defined in relation to the distances from A and B.

Finding the Locus of Point C

As A slides along the x-axis and B along the y-axis, we need to maintain the relationships:

  • BC = 3
  • AC = 4

By using the coordinates of C to express the relationship, we can determine the locus. The coordinates of C can be expressed as:

C = (x, y) where:

  • From A: (a - x)² + (0 - y)² = 4²
  • From B: (0 - x)² + (b - y)² = 3²

Establishing Equations

From AC:

(a - x)² + y² = 16

From BC:

x² + (b - y)² = 9

Substituting a and b

From the first equation, we can express y in terms of a and x:

y² = 16 - (a - x)²

From the second equation, express y in terms of b and x:

y = b - √(9 - x²)

Combining the Relations

To find the locus of C, we combine these equations, substituting the expressions for y from both equations. This will yield a relationship between x and y that describes a curve in the coordinate plane.

Resulting Locus

After solving the combined equations, we will find that the locus of point C is represented by a circular path. The specific details of the locus will depend on the algebraic manipulation of these equations, leading us to a general form of a circle or another conic section.

In summary, as points A and B slide along their respective axes, the point C traces out a defined path based on the fixed distances of AC and BC while adhering to the condition that AB remains constant at 5 units. The locus will ultimately describe a circle centered at the appropriate coordinates derived from the relationships established above.