Find the radius and center of a circle with the equation x^2 + y^2 - 8x + 2y + 8 = 0 ?

Can you give me a detailed step by step for solving the equation?

1 Answer
Dec 12, 2016

Radius: color(green)(3)
Center: color(green)(""(4,-1))

Explanation:

Given
color(white)("XXX")x^2+y^2-8x+2y+8=0

Noting that if we can convert this into the standard form for a circle:
color(white)("XXX")(x-a)^+(y-b)^2=c^2
we will have a circle with radius c and center (a,b)

x^2+y^2-8x+2y+8=0

rarr (color(blue)(x^2-8x))+(color(red)(y^2+2y))=-8

rarr (color(blue)(x^2-8x+4^2))+(color(red)(y^2+2y+1^2))=-8color(blue)(+4^2)color(red)(+1^2)

rarr (x-4)^2+(y+1)^2=9

rarr (x-4)^2+(y-(-1))^2=3^2
a circle with center (4,-1) and radius 3

~~~~~~~~~~ Process of "Completing the Squares" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we want to convert an expression in the form:
color(white)("XXX")x^2+ax
into a squared binomial with the form:
color(white)("XXX")(x+b)^2
Since (x+b)^2=x^2+2bx+b^2
we will need to add some amount b^2 to the initial expression x^2+ax
where 2bx=ax
(this amount will, of course, need to also be added to the other side of the equation).

For the given equation of this problem, let's simplify by dropping the color(red)y term and consider only what we would have with
color(white)("XXX")color(blue)(x^2-8x=-8)
To convert (x^2-8x) into a squared binomial we will need to add color(magenta)(((-8)/2)^2) (to both sides) to get
color(white)("XXX")color(blue)(x^2-8x)color(magenta)(+4^2)=color(blue)(-8)color(magenta)(+4^2)

color(white)("XXX")(x-4)^2= -8 +16

Similarly to convert color(red)(y^2+2y) into a squared binomial, we will need to add color(magenta)((color(red)(+2/)2)^2) to both sides.