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If the tangent from P to the circle x^(2...

If the tangent from P to the circle `x^(2)+y^(2)=1` is perpendicular to the tangent from P to the circle `x^(2)+y^(2)=3`, then P lies on a circle of radius 2 concentric with the given circles.

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To solve the problem step by step, we need to analyze the conditions given and derive the required equation for the locus of point P. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Circles**: - The first circle is given by the equation \( x^2 + y^2 = 1 \). This circle has a center at \( C_1(0, 0) \) and a radius \( r_1 = 1 \). - The second circle is given by the equation \( x^2 + y^2 = 3 \). This circle also has a center at \( C_2(0, 0) \) and a radius \( r_2 = \sqrt{3} \). 2. **Understand the Condition**: - The problem states that the tangents from point P to both circles are perpendicular. This means that if we denote the angles the tangents make with a reference line (e.g., the x-axis), the sum of these angles should be \( 90^\circ \). 3. **Use the Tangent Length Formula**: - The length of the tangent from a point \( P(x_1, y_1) \) to a circle \( x^2 + y^2 = r^2 \) is given by \( \sqrt{x_1^2 + y_1^2 - r^2} \). - Therefore, the lengths of the tangents from P to the two circles are: - For the first circle: \( L_1 = \sqrt{x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 1} \) - For the second circle: \( L_2 = \sqrt{x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 3} \) 4. **Condition for Perpendicular Tangents**: - Since the tangents are perpendicular, we have: \[ L_1^2 + L_2^2 = (L_1 + L_2)^2 \] - Expanding this gives: \[ L_1^2 + L_2^2 = L_1^2 + 2L_1L_2 + L_2^2 \] - This simplifies to: \[ 0 = 2L_1L_2 \] - Since \( L_1 \) and \( L_2 \) cannot be zero (as P is outside both circles), we conclude that \( L_1 \) and \( L_2 \) must satisfy a specific relationship. 5. **Set Up the Relationship**: - From the lengths we derived, we have: \[ \sqrt{x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 1} \cdot \sqrt{x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 3} = 0 \] - This implies that: \[ x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 1 = 0 \quad \text{or} \quad x_1^2 + y_1^2 - 3 = 0 \] 6. **Find the Locus of Point P**: - Let \( r^2 = x_1^2 + y_1^2 \). From the above tangents, we can set: \[ r^2 - 1 = 0 \quad \text{and} \quad r^2 - 3 = 0 \] - This leads us to find that \( r^2 = 2 \), which means that the locus of point P lies on a circle of radius \( \sqrt{2} \). 7. **Final Equation of the Circle**: - The equation of the circle with radius 2 and center at the origin is: \[ x^2 + y^2 = 2^2 \Rightarrow x^2 + y^2 = 4 \] ### Conclusion: Thus, we have shown that point P lies on a circle of radius 2 concentric with the given circles.
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