Find the unknown segment length. Assume that lines which appear to be tangent to the circle are tangent.13.3,16.5

1 answer

To find the unknown segment length in this scenario, we can use the theorem that states that the length from the center of a circle to a point of tangency is perpendicular to the tangent line.

In this case, if we draw a line from the center of the circle to the point of tangency, it will form a right angle with the tangent line.

Let x be the unknown segment length. Then, we can create a right triangle with x as the height and the radius of the circle as the hypotenuse.

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can set up the following equation:

(x)^2 + (13.3)^2 = (16.5)^2

Solving for x:

x^2 + 176.89 = 272.25
x^2 = 95.36
x ≈ 9.77

Therefore, the unknown segment length is approximately 9.77.