Secants of a circle

Geometry Level 3

The diameter of the circle shown above is C D CD . If C D = 74 CD=74 , C P = 77 CP=77 , and P B = 33 PB=33 , what is the measure of B P C \angle BPC in degrees?

note: The figure is not drawn to scale.


The answer is 60.

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3 solutions

If two secants intersect outside the circle, the product of the measures of one secant and its external segment equals the product of the measures of the other secant and its external segment. Thus, ( P A ) ( P B ) = ( P D ) ( P C ) (PA)(PB)=(PD)(PC) . Substituting, we get

( P A ) ( 33 ) = ( 3 ) ( 77 ) (PA)(33)=(3)(77) \implies P A = 7 PA=7

Therefore, B A = 33 7 = 26 BA=33-7=26 .

A line perpendicular to a chord of a circle and containing the center of the circle, bisects the chord and its major and minor arcs. Thus,

B E = A E = 13 BE=AE=13

In right P E O \triangle PEO , P O = 40 PO=40 and P E = 20 PE=20 .

It follows that,

cos B P C = 20 40 \cos \angle BPC=\dfrac{20}{40} \color{#D61F06}\large \implies B P C = cos 1 ( 1 2 ) = 6 0 \angle BPC =\cos^{-1}(\frac{1}{2})=60^{\circ}

Marta Reece
Jun 11, 2017

Triangle O P B OPB has sides

B P = 33 BP=33

O B = 1 2 × 74 = 37 OB=\dfrac12\times74=37

O P = 37 + 3 = 40 OP=37+3=40

From a law of cosines

cos ( O P B ) = 4 0 2 + 3 3 2 3 7 2 2 × 40 × 33 = 1 2 \cos(\angle OPB)=\dfrac{40^2+33^2-37^2}{2\times40\times33}=\dfrac12

O P B = arccos 1 2 = 6 0 \angle OPB=\arccos\dfrac12=\boxed{60^\circ}

Maximos Stratis
Jun 11, 2017

( D P ) = ( C P ) ( C D ) = 77 74 = 3 (DP)=(CP)-(CD)=77-74=3
( O D ) = ( C D ) 2 = 37 (OD)=\frac{(CD)}{2}=37
( O A ) = ( O D ) = 37 (OA)=(OD)=37
( O P ) = ( O D ) + ( D P ) = 37 + 3 = 40 (OP)=(OD)+(DP)=37+3=40
( P A ) ( P B ) = ( P D ) ( P C ) ( P A ) 33 = 3 77 ( P A ) = 7 (PA)(PB)=(PD)(PC)\Rightarrow (PA)\cdot 33=3\cdot 77\Rightarrow (PA)=7
If θ \theta is the angle we are looking for then by applying the cosine law on the triangle OAP we get:
( O A ) 2 = ( O P ) 2 + ( P A ) 2 2 ( O P ) ( P A ) cos θ (OA)^{2}=(OP)^{2}+(PA)^{2}-2\cdot (OP)(PA)\cos{\theta}\Rightarrow
1369 = 1600 + 9 2 40 7 cos θ 1369=1600+9-2\cdot 40\cdot 7\cdot \cos{\theta}\Rightarrow
cos θ = 1 2 \cos{\theta}=\frac{1}{2}\Rightarrow
θ = 6 0 \theta=60^{\circ}




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