Question

Draw a circle of radius 5 cm. Mark a point P outside the circle at a distance of 7 cm from the centre. Construct two tangents from P to the circle. Measure and write down the length of one tangent.

Answer 1

A circle of radius 5 cm is drawn with centre O.

Point P is marked 7 cm away from O.

Two tangents, PA and PB, are constructed from point P to the circle.

Length of Tangent

Tangent length = `sqrt(OP^2 − r^2)`

= `sqrt(72−52)`

 = `sqrt(49−25)`

​= 24 ​≈ 4.9 cm

Length of each tangent = 4.9 cm (approximately).