Prove that the angle between the two tangents drawn from an external point to a circle is supplementary to the angle subtended by the line-segment joining the points of contact at the centre.
A triangle ABC is drawn to circumscribe a circle of radius 4 cm such that the segments BD and DC into which BC is divided by the point of contact D are of lengths 8 cm and 6 cm respectively (see Fig. 10.14). Find the sides AB and AC.
Fig, 10.14
Prove that opposite sides of a quadrilateral circumscribing a circle subtend supplementary angles at the centre of the circle.
∵ CP and CQ are tangents to a circle with centre O.
∴ CP = CQ = 11 cm
Similarly, BR and BQ are tangents to the same circle
∴ BR = BQ
But BQ = CQ – BC
= 11 cm – 7 cm. = 4 cm.
Hence, BR = 4 cm.