Sigma Percentile
JEE Main 2024 (30 Jan Shift 1)
LEVELJEE Main

Animated Solution for Mathematics - Circles: If the circles and intersect at exactly two distinct points, then

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Visualized Solution

Visualize the Geometry

  • We need to find the range of for which two circles intersect at exactly two distinct points.
  • Circle 1:
  • Circle 2:

Analyze Circle 1

  • From the equation :
  • Center
  • Radius

Analyze Circle 2

  • General equation:
  • Rearranging:
  • Standard form:
  • Center , Radius

Distance Between Centers

  • Distance between and :

Condition for Intersection

  • Condition for two distinct intersection points:
  • Substituting , , and :

Solving the First Inequality

  • Part 1:
  • Subtracting from both sides:

Solving the Second Inequality

  • Part 2:
  • Adding to all sides:

Final Range of

  • Combining and :
  • The common intersection is .
  • Key Takeaway: For two circles to intersect at two points, the distance between centers must be between the difference and the sum of their radii.

The Sigma Insight: Standard and General Equation of a Circle

Solution Diagram

The Dance of Two Circles

A Geometric Odyssey
Imagine you are standing on a vast, flat coordinate plane. You have two circles, and you are tasked with a delicate mission: finding the exact range of the radius of the first circle so that it dances with the second circle, intersecting it at exactly two distinct points.
This is not just algebra; it is a story of proximity, boundaries, and the beautiful logic of geometry.

Phase 1

Unmasking the Circles
First, let us look at our protagonists. The first circle is given by the equation .
This is already in the standard form , which is a gift! We can immediately see that its center, , is anchored at , and its radius is .
Now, consider the second circle: . It is a bit shy, hiding in its general form. To understand it, we must complete the square.
By grouping the and terms, we get . This simplifies beautifully to:
Now, the truth is revealed: its center is at , and it has a fixed radius of .

Phase 2

The Bridge Between Centers
To understand how these two circles interact, we must measure the distance between their hearts—their centers. Using the distance formula , we calculate the distance between and :
So, the centers are exactly units apart. This distance is the bridge that dictates their relationship.

Phase 3

The Condition for Intersection
Here is the core of our journey. For two circles to intersect at exactly two distinct points, they must be close enough to touch but not so close that one is swallowed by the other.
The condition is defined by the inequality:
Substituting our values , , and , we get:

Phase 4

Solving the Inequality
This compound inequality is our final hurdle. Let us break it into two manageable parts.
First, consider the right side: . Subtracting from both sides, we find .
This makes perfect sense! If were , the circles would touch externally. To have two intersection points, the radius must be larger than .
Second, consider the left side: . This implies that must be between and :
Adding to all parts, we get . This upper bound of is fascinating—if were , the first circle would be so large that it would touch the second circle internally. We must stay below this limit.

The Grand Finale

Finally, we combine our conditions: and . Since must be a positive radius, we ignore the negative part of the second interval.
The intersection of these two conditions is the elegant range:
And there you have it! By visualizing the geometry and carefully applying the conditions of intersection, we have found the exact range where these two circles perform their perfect, two-point dance.
Geometry is not just about shapes; it is about understanding the relationships between them.

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