NVAMediumJEE 2025Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola)

JEE Mathematics 2025 Question with Solution

Let the circle C touch the line xy+1=0x - y + 1 = 0, have the center on the positive x-axis, and cut off a chord of length 413\frac{4}{\sqrt{13}} along the line 3x+2y=1-3x + 2y = 1. Let H be the hyperbola x2α2y2β2=1\frac{x^2}{\alpha^2} - \frac{y^2}{\beta^2} = 1, whose one of the foci is the center of C and the length of the transverse axis is the diameter of C. Then 2α2+3β22\alpha^2 + 3\beta^2 is equal to:

Answer

Correct answer:19

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: The circle has center on the positive x-axis, touches the line xy+1=0x-y+1=0, and the chord cut by the line 3x+2y=1-3x+2y=1 has length 413\frac{4}{\sqrt{13}}.

Find: The value of 2α2+3β22\alpha^2+3\beta^2 for the hyperbola x2α2y2β2=1\frac{x^2}{\alpha^2}-\frac{y^2}{\beta^2}=1.

Let the center of the circle be (a,0)(a,0) and radius be rr. Since the circle touches the line xy+1=0x-y+1=0, the perpendicular distance from (a,0)(a,0) to this line equals rr:

a+12=r\frac{|a+1|}{\sqrt{2}}=r

As the center lies on the positive x-axis, we take

r=a+12.r=\frac{a+1}{\sqrt{2}}.

Now use the chord-length condition for the line 3x+2y=1-3x+2y=1. Writing it as 3x2y+1=03x-2y+1=0, the perpendicular distance from the center (a,0)(a,0) is

d=3a+113.d=\frac{|3a+1|}{\sqrt{13}}.

For a circle, chord length cut by a line at distance dd from the center is

2r2d2.2\sqrt{r^2-d^2}.

So,

2r2d2=413.2\sqrt{r^2-d^2}=\frac{4}{\sqrt{13}}.

Substitute r=a+12r=\frac{a+1}{\sqrt{2}} and d=3a+113d=\frac{|3a+1|}{\sqrt{13}}:

2(a+1)22(3a+1)213=413.2\sqrt{\frac{(a+1)^2}{2}-\frac{(3a+1)^2}{13}}=\frac{4}{\sqrt{13}}.

Squaring,

4((a+1)22(3a+1)213)=1613.4\left(\frac{(a+1)^2}{2}-\frac{(3a+1)^2}{13}\right)=\frac{16}{13}.

Hence,

26(a+1)24(3a+1)2=16.26(a+1)^2-4(3a+1)^2=16.

Expanding,

26a2+52a+2636a224a4=1626a^2+52a+26-36a^2-24a-4=16 10a2+28a+6=0-10a^2+28a+6=0 5a214a3=0.5a^2-14a-3=0.

Solving,

a=14±1610a=\frac{14\pm16}{10}

so

a=3ora=15.a=3 \quad \text{or} \quad a=-\frac{1}{5}.

Since the center lies on the positive x-axis, we take

a=3.a=3.

Therefore,

r=a+12=42=22.r=\frac{a+1}{\sqrt{2}}=\frac{4}{\sqrt{2}}=2\sqrt{2}.

For the hyperbola x2α2y2β2=1\frac{x^2}{\alpha^2}-\frac{y^2}{\beta^2}=1, the transverse axis length is 2α2\alpha. It is given equal to the diameter of the circle, which is 2r2r. Thus,

2α=2r2\alpha=2r

so

α=r=22α2=8.\alpha=r=2\sqrt{2} \Rightarrow \alpha^2=8.

One focus of the hyperbola is the center of the circle, that is at distance 33 from the origin. For the hyperbola, focus distance cc satisfies

c2=α2+β2.c^2=\alpha^2+\beta^2.

Hence,

32=α2+β2.3^2=\alpha^2+\beta^2.

So,

9=8+β2β2=1.9=8+\beta^2 \Rightarrow \beta^2=1.

Now compute

2α2+3β2=2(8)+3(1)=16+3=19.2\alpha^2+3\beta^2=2(8)+3(1)=16+3=19.

Therefore, the required value is 1919.

Using tangent and chord-distance formulas

Given: A circle with center on the positive x-axis touches xy+1=0x-y+1=0 and the line 3x+2y=1-3x+2y=1 cuts a chord of length 413\frac{4}{\sqrt{13}}.

Find: The value of 2α2+3β22\alpha^2+3\beta^2 for the associated hyperbola.

The tangent condition gives radius as the distance from the center to the tangent line. The chord condition gives a second relation using

chord length=2r2d2.\text{chord length}=2\sqrt{r^2-d^2}.

After finding the circle, use the hyperbola facts:

  • transverse axis length =2α=2\alpha,
  • focus distance satisfies c2=α2+β2c^2=\alpha^2+\beta^2.

The solution also shows an incorrect intermediate possibility a=15a=-\frac{1}{5} in one approach, but that contradicts the condition that the center lies on the positive x-axis. Hence the valid center is (3,0)(3,0), which leads consistently to the final answer 1919.

Common mistakes

  • Taking the negative root a=15a=-\frac{1}{5} for the center coordinate is incorrect because the question explicitly says the center is on the positive x-axis. After solving the quadratic, always apply the geometric condition and choose a=3a=3.

  • Using the wrong distance formula for the line 3x+2y=1-3x+2y=1 leads to an incorrect chord relation. Rewrite carefully in standard form and use d=Ax0+By0+CA2+B2d=\frac{|Ax_0+By_0+C|}{\sqrt{A^2+B^2}} before applying the chord-length formula.

  • Confusing the circle radius with the hyperbola focus distance is a conceptual error. The diameter of the circle equals the transverse axis length, so 2r=2α2r=2\alpha and hence α=r\alpha=r. The focus distance is a different quantity, given by c2=α2+β2c^2=\alpha^2+\beta^2.

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