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Straight line and circle question

Line mx-y-2=0 touches the circle x square -6x+y square +8y=4at two points. Find the value of m.
How to find m?
Thanks a lot.
(edited 6 years ago)
rearrange mx -y -2 = 0 to y= mx -2 , now insert the value of y into second equation, and solve for m ?? then use b^2 - 4ac
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by MargaaaHZY
Line mx-y-2=0 touches the circle x square -8x +y square +10y+1=0 at two points. Find the value of m.
How to find m?
Thanks a lot.


Weird wording of the question... a line can only touch a circle once...

Anyway, they want you you to find 2 values of mm for which the line is tangent to the circle. So begin by substituting the eq. of the line into the eq. of the circle. This should leave you with a quadratic with mm involved. Now how many times does a tangent line intersect the circle? So how many roots should we expect to get from our quadratic? Hence, what condition does this imply on the discriminant? So, consider the discriminant and you would end up with a quadratic in mm which you can solve and obtain your two mm values from.
Reply 3
Original post by RDKGames
Weird wording of the question... a line can only touch a circle once...

Anyway, they want you you to find 2 values of mm for which the line is tangent to the circle. So begin by substituting the eq. of the line into the eq. of the circle. This should leave you with a quadratic with mm involved. Now how many times does a tangent line intersect the circle? So how many roots should we expect to get from our quadratic? Hence, what condition does this imply on the discriminant? So, consider the discriminant and you would end up with a quadratic in mm which you can solve and obtain your two mm values from.


Do think a line could touch circle twice, just like a chord in the circle.
Reply 4
Original post by Oxbridge_
rearrange mx -y -2 = 0 to y= mx -2 , now insert the value of y into second equation, and solve for m ?? then use b^2 - 4ac


It is so confused for me to solve, I mean I am stuck on this solving bit.
Could u plz show me how to solve?
Thx a lot.
Reply 5
Line mx-y-2=0 touches the circle x square -6x+y square +8y=4at two points. Find the value of m.
How to find m?
Thanks a lot.
Original post by MargaaaHZY
Do think a line could touch circle twice, just like a chord in the circle.


A chord doesn’t ‘touch’ a circle, it intersects it at 2 points. Besides, a chord is not a line on its natural domain.
(edited 6 years ago)

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