Chords and Secants
Example 5: PA is tangent to the circle at point A. Find x:
Solution: (x + 4)(x + 4) = (x + 12)x
So x2 + 8x + 16 = x2 + 12x
Subtracting x2 from both sides gives
8x + 16 = 12x
So 4x = 16, and we get x = 4.
toc | return to top | previous page