A circle has a center that falls on the line y = 5/4x +5 and passes through ( 4 ,7 ) and (2 ,5 ). What is the equation of the circle?

1 Answer
Nov 5, 2016

(x-16/9)^2 + (y-65/9)^2 = 404/81

Explanation:

The centre of the circle must lie on the perpendicular bisector of the line segment joining (4, 7) and (2, 5).

Their midpoint is:

((4+2)/2, (7+5)/2) = (3, 6)

and the slope of the line segment joining them is:

(5-7)/(2-4) = (-2)/(-2) = 1

Hence the slope of the perpendicular bisector is:

-1/color(blue)(1) = -1

Hence the equation of the perpendicular bisector can be written:

y - 6 = -1(x - 3)

which simplifies to:

y = 9-x

This will intersect the given line when:

9-x = y = 5/4x+5

Multiply both ends by 4 to get:

36-4x=5x+20

Add 4x-20 to both sides to get:

16 = 9x

Hence:

x = 16/9

and:

y = 9-x = 9-16/9 = 65/9

So the centre of the circle is at: (16/9, 65/9)

So its equation can be written in the form:

(x-16/9)^2 + (y-65/9)^2 = r^2

where the radius r is yet to be determined.

Since this passes through (4, 7), those values of x and y must satisfy the equation.

So we find:

r^2 = (color(blue)(4)-16/9)^2 + (color(blue)(7)-65/9)^2

color(white)(r^2) = (20/9)^2 + (-2/9)^2

color(white)(r^2) = 404/81

So the equation of the circle may be written:

(x-16/9)^2 + (y-65/9)^2 = 404/81

graph{(y-x-3)((x-4)^2+(y-7)^2-0.006)((x-2)^2+(y-5)^2-0.006)((x-16/9)^2 + (y-65/9)^2 - 404/81)((x-16/9)^2 + (y-65/9)^2 - 0.006)(y+x-9)(y-5/4x-5)=0 [-3.63, 6.37, 4.6, 9.6]}