Let the system of equations be: which has infinitely many solutions. Then the radius of the circle centered at and touching the line is:
- A
- B
- C
- D
Let the system of equations be: which has infinitely many solutions. Then the radius of the circle centered at and touching the line is:
Correct answer:B
Standard Method
Given: The system
has infinitely many solutions.
Find: The radius of the circle centered at and touching the line .
For infinitely many solutions, the determinant of the coefficient matrix must be zero:
Expanding the determinant gives .
Now using the determinant formed with the constants in place of the third column:
we get .
So the center of the circle is .
The given line is
The radius is the perpendicular distance from to this line:
Therefore, the radius of the circle is , so the correct option is B.
Determinant Shortcut
Given: The system has infinitely many solutions.
Find: The radius of the circle centered at .
Use the condition directly from the solution:
and
Hence the center is .
Now convert the line to standard form and apply the point-to-line distance formula:
Therefore, the radius is and the correct option is B.
Using only the determinant of the coefficient matrix and forgetting the consistency condition for infinitely many solutions. For infinitely many solutions, the system must be dependent and consistent; here the solution uses determinant conditions to obtain both and . Do not stop after finding only .
Writing the line as and substituting into the distance formula without first converting it to standard form. The point-to-line distance formula requires , so use .
Using an incorrect denominator in the distance formula, such as instead of . The correct formula is .
Get unlimited AI-adaptive practice, mastery tracking, and an AI tutor that explains every step — free to start.