Animated Solution for Mathematics - Trigonometry: In a triangle, the sum of lengths of two sides is x and the product of the lengths of the same two sides is y. If x2−c2=y, where c is the length of the third side of the triangle, then the circumradius of the triangle is :
Select Answer:
Visualized Solution
Visualizing the Triangle
Let the sides of the triangle be a, b, and c.
Let the angle opposite to side c be C.
Defining x and y
Sum of two sides: a+b=x
Product of two sides: ab=y
Substitution in the Given Relation
Given: x2−c2=y
Substitute x=a+b and y=ab:
(a+b)2−c2=ab
Expanding the Square
Expand (a+b)2:
a2+b2+2ab−c2=ab
Simplifying the Equation
Rearrange the terms:
a2+b2−c2=ab−2ab
a2+b2−c2=−ab
Applying the Cosine Rule
Recall the Cosine Rule:
cosC=2aba2+b2−c2
Solving for cosC
Substitute a2+b2−c2=−ab:
cosC=2ab−ab
cosC=−21
Finding Angle C
Since cosC=−21 and 0∘<C<180∘:
C=120∘
Introducing the Sine Rule
The formula for circumradius R is:
R=2sinCc
Calculating sin120∘
Calculate sin120∘:
sin120∘=sin(180∘−60∘)
sin120∘=23
Final Computation of R
Substitute sin120∘ into the formula for R:
R=2(23)c
R=3c
00:00 / 00:00
The Sigma Insight: Properties of Triangles
Solution Diagram
Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are standing on the edge of a triangle with sides a, b, and c. We are given that the sum of two sides is x and their product is y, satisfying the relation x2−c2=y.
Our goal is to determine the circumradius R of this triangle.
Decoding the Cipher
First, we translate the problem into the language of algebra. We have the definitions a+b=x and ab=y.
Substituting these into the given relation x2−c2=y, we obtain:
(a+b)2−c2=ab
Expanding the square, we get a2+b2+2ab−c2=ab. Rearranging the terms by moving 2ab to the right side yields:
a2+b2−c2=−ab
The Geometric Revelation
Whenever you encounter the expression a2+b2−c2 in a triangle, the Cosine Rule is the natural tool to employ. The rule states:
cosC=2aba2+b2−c2
Substituting our derived relation a2+b2−c2=−ab into the Cosine Rule, we find:
cosC=2ab−ab=−21
Since C is an interior angle of a triangle, cosC=−21 implies that C=120∘. We have successfully identified that the triangle is obtuse.
The Final Leap
Now that we have determined the angle C, we calculate the circumradius R using the Extended Sine Rule:
R=2sinCc
We know that sin120∘=sin(180∘−60∘)=sin60∘=23. Substituting this value into the formula gives:
R=2(23)c
The factors of 2 cancel out, leading us to the final, elegant result: