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Let the tangents to the parabola y^(2)=4...

Let the tangents to the parabola `y^(2)=4ax` drawn from point P have slope `m_(1) and m_(2)`. If `m_(1)m_(2)=2`, then the locus of point P is

A

`x=a`

B

`x=(a)/(2)`

C

`x+a=0`

D

`x=2a`

Text Solution

AI Generated Solution

The correct Answer is:
To solve the problem, we need to find the locus of the point P from which tangents to the parabola \( y^2 = 4ax \) can be drawn, given that the product of the slopes of these tangents is equal to 2. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Point P**: Let the coordinates of point P be \( (x_1, y_1) \). 2. **Equation of Tangent**: The equation of the tangent to the parabola \( y^2 = 4ax \) at a point with slope \( m \) is given by: \[ y = mx + \frac{a}{m} \] 3. **Substituting Point P into the Tangent Equation**: Since point P lies on the tangent, we substitute \( (x_1, y_1) \) into the tangent equation: \[ y_1 = mx_1 + \frac{a}{m} \] 4. **Rearranging the Equation**: Rearranging gives us: \[ mx_1 - y_1 + \frac{a}{m} = 0 \] Multiplying through by \( m \) (to eliminate the fraction) gives: \[ mx_1 - y_1 m + a = 0 \] 5. **Forming a Quadratic in m**: Rearranging the above equation leads to: \[ m^2 x_1 - y_1 m + a = 0 \] This is a quadratic equation in \( m \). 6. **Using the Product of Roots**: The product of the roots \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) of the quadratic equation \( am^2 + bm + c = 0 \) is given by: \[ m_1 m_2 = \frac{c}{a} \] In our case: \[ m_1 m_2 = \frac{a}{x_1} \] We are given that \( m_1 m_2 = 2 \). Thus, we have: \[ \frac{a}{x_1} = 2 \] 7. **Solving for x_1**: From the equation above, we can solve for \( x_1 \): \[ x_1 = \frac{a}{2} \] 8. **Finding the Locus**: The locus of point P, as \( a \) varies, can be expressed by replacing \( x_1 \) with \( x \): \[ x = \frac{a}{2} \] Rearranging gives: \[ a = 2x \] ### Final Answer: The locus of point P is given by the equation: \[ x = \frac{a}{2} \]
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