NCERT solutions for Class 10

Maths
Chapter 10 – Circles

Exercise 10.1

1. How many tangents can a circle have?

Ans:We know that a circle has infinite number of points on its perimeter. Hence,
there will be infinite number of tangents on a circle.

2. Fill in the blanks:

(i) A tangent to a circle intersects it in _________ point(s).
Ans: A tangent to a circle intersects it in exactly one point(s).

(ii) A line intersecting a circle in two points is called a _______.

Ans: A line intersecting a circle in two points is called a secant.

(iii)A circle can have _______ parallel tangents at the most.

Ans: A circle can have two parallel tangents at the most.

(iv) The common point of a tangent to a circle and the circle is called ______.
Ans: The common point of a tangent to a circle and the circle is called point of
contact.

3. A tangent PQ at a point P of a circle of radius 5 cm meets a line through

the centre O at a point Q so that OQ  12 cm .
Length of PQ is: (A) 12 cm (B) 13 cm (C) 8.5 cm (D) 119 .
Ans: As, the tangent PQ is base and radius is the height of 5 cm . Also, OQ is the
hypotenuse. Therefore, the length of PQ will be –
PQ  OQ 2  OP 2
 PQ  122  52
 PQ  144  25
 PQ  119
Hence, option (D) is correct.

4. Draw a circle and two lines parallel to a given line such that one is tangent
and the other, a secant to the circle.
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Ans:

From the figure given above let us assume that a line l and a circle having centre O
, comprises a line PT which is parallel to the line l and is a tangent to the circle.
Similarly, AB is a secant parallel to the line l .

Exercise 10.2

1. From a point Q , the length of the tangent to a circle is 24 cm and the distance
of Q from the centre is 25 cm . The radius of the circle is
(A) 7 cm (B) 12 cm (C) 15 cm (D) 24.5 cm .
Ans:

From the figure given above, let us assume that O is the centre of the circle and
given we have PQ as the tangent to the circle of length 24 cm , and OQ is of length
25 cm .
Now, by using the Pythagoras theorem we have –
OP  OQ 2  PQ 2
 OP  252  242
 OP  625  576

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 OP  49
 OP  7 cm .
Hence, option (A) is correct.

2. In the given figure, if TP and TQ are the two tangents to a circle with centre
O so that POQ  110 , then PTQ is equal to
(A) 60 (B) 70 (C) 80 (D) 90 .

Ans:
As, from the given figure, we can observe that there are two tangents perpendicular
to the radius of the circle as TP and TQ . Since, they are perpendicular to the radius
hence, we have OPT  90 and
OQT  90 .
Therefore, PTQ  360  OPT  OTQ  POQ
 PTQ  360  90  90  110
 PTQ  360  290
 PTQ  70
Hence, option (B) is correct.

3. If tangents PA and PB from a point P to a circle with centre O are inclined

to each other an angle of 80 , then POA is equal to
(A) 50 (B) 60 (C) 70 (D) 80 .
Ans:
As, we have two tangents PA and PB which will be perpendicular to the radius of
the circle. Hence, we have PAO  90 and
PBO  90 . Since, this is a quadrilateral, we will have sum of all interior angle
equal to 360 .
Therefore,
PAO  PBO  APB  AOB  360

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 90  90  80  AOB  360
 AOB  360  260
 AOB  100 .
Now, we know that POA is half of the AOB .
Therefore,
AOB
POA 
2
100
 POA 
2
 POA  50 .
Hence, option (A) is correct.

4. Prove that the tangents drawn at the ends of a diameter of a circle are
parallel.
Ans:

As, from the figure given above, let us assume that O is the centre of the circle and
AB , CD are the two tangents at the ends of the diameter of the circle.
Now, we know that tangents are perpendicular to the radius of the circle.
Hence, CQO  90
DQO  90
APO  90
BPO  90 .
Therefore, we can say that CPQ  BQP because they are alternate angles.
Similarly, AQP  QPD .
Hence, if the interior alternate angles are equal then the lines AB , CD should be
parallel lines.
Hence, proved.

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5. Prove that the perpendicular at the point of contact to the tangent to a circle
passes through the centre.
Ans:

Let us assume that the line perpendicular at the point of contact to the tangent of a
circle do not passes through the centre O but passes through a point Q as shown in
the figure above.
Hence, we have line PQ  AB .
 QPB  90
Also, we have OPB  90 .
After comparing both the equations we get –
 QPB  OPB
But, from the figure drawn above we can observe that this is not the case as
QPB  OPB .
Therefore, we can conclude that QPB  OPB . They can only be equal when
these two-line segments QP and OP will be equal. This implies that the line
perpendicular at the point of contact to the tangent of a circle passes through the
centre O . Hence, proved.

6. The length of a tangent from a point A at distance 5 cm from the centre of

the circle is 4 cm . Find the radius of the circle.
Ans:

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From the figure given above, let us assume that O is the centre of the circle and
given we have AB as the tangent to the circle of length 4 cm , and OA is of length
5 cm .
Now, by using the Pythagoras theorem we have –
OB  OA 2  AB2
 OB  52  42
 OB  25  16
 OB  9
 OB  3 cm .
Therefore, the radius of the circle will be 3 cm .

7. Two concentric circles are of radii 5 cm and 3 cm . Find the length of the
chord of the larger circle which touches the smaller circle.
Ans:

From the figure given above, we can observe that the line segment PQ is the chord
of the larger circle and a tangent to the smaller circle.
Therefore, OA  PQ .
Now, we can observe that the OAP forms a right-angled triangle.
Hence, by applying Pythagoras theorem –
AP  OP 2  OA 2
 AP  52  32
 AP  25  9
 AP  16
 AP  4 cm .
Now, since the radius is perpendicular to the tangent therefore, we have AP  AQ .
Hence, PQ  2AP .
 PQ  2  4

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 PQ  8 cm .
So, the length of the chord will be of 8 cm .

8. A quadrilateral ABCD is drawn to circumscribe a circle. Prove that

AB  CD  AD  BC .

Ans: From the figure given we can observe that the sides of the quadrilateral acts as
tangents to the circle. As, the tangents drawn from any external point will have the
same length. Therefore, we have –
DR  DS ,
CR  CQ ,
BP  BQ , and
AP  AS .
Now, we will add all the relations.
Hence, DR  CR  BP  AP  DS  CQ  BQ  AS
  DR  CR    BP  AP    DS  AS   CQ  BQ 
 DC  AB  AD  BC
Hence, proved.

9. In the given figure, XY and X'Y' are two parallel tangents to a circle with
centre O and another tangent AB with point of contact C intersecting XY
at A and X'Y' at B . Prove that AOB  90

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Ans: From the figure given we can observe that AB , XY and X'Y' are tangents to
the circle and will be perpendicular to its radius.
Now, let us consider two triangles OPA and OCA , such that –
OP  OC ,
AP  AC .
Hence, we have OPA  OCA by the SSS congruence rule.
 POA  COA .
In the similar manner OQB  OCB .
 QOB  COB .
Now, we know that PQ is the diameter of the circle.
 POA  COA  COB  QOB  180
 2COA  2COB  180
 COA  COB  90
 AOB  90 .
Hence, proved.

10. Prove that the angle between the two tangents drawn from an external point
to a circle is supplementary to the angle subtended by the line-segment
joining the points of contact at the centre.
Ans:

Let us assume a circle with centre at O , which have two tangents PA and PB which
are perpendicular to the radius of the circle as shown in the figure above.
Now, let us consider two triangles OAP and OBP , such that –
PA  PB , and
OA  OB .
Hence, we have OAP  OBP by the SSS congruence criteria.
Therefore, OPA  OPB and
AOP  BOP .
This implies that APB  2OPA and
AOB  2AOP .

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Hence, in the right-angled triangle OAP , we have –
AOP  OPA  90
2AOP  2OPA  180
 AOB  180  APB
 AOP  OPA  180 .
Hence, proved.

11. Prove that the parallelogram circumscribing a circle is a rhombus.

Ans:

From the figure given above, we can observe that ABCD is a parallelogram whose
sides are tangent to the circle. This implies that DR  DS ,
CR  CQ ,
BP  BQ , and
AP  AS .
Now, we will add all the relations.
Hence, DR  CR  BP  AP  DS  CQ  BQ  AS
  DR  CR    BP  AP    DS  AS   CQ  BQ 
 DC  AB  AD  BC
As, the sides of a parallelogram are always parallel and equal in length.
Therefore, AB  DC and
AD  BC .
 2AB  2BC
 AB  BC
Hence, all the sides of parallelogram are equal.
Therefore, we can conclude that it is a rhombus. Hence, proved.

12. A triangle ABC is drawn to circumscribe a circle of radius 4 cm such that

the Segments BD and DC into which BC is divided by the point of contact
D are of lengths 8 cm and 6 cm respectively. Find the sides AB and AC .
Ans:

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From the figure given above, we can observe that the sides of a triangle ABC are
the tangents to the circle and are perpendicular to the radius of the circle.
Hence, in ABC
CF  CD  6 cm
Similarly, BE  BD  8 cm and
AE  AF  x cm .
In ABE ,
AB  AE  BE
 AB  x  8
Similarly, BC  8  6  14 and
CA  6  x .
Therefore, we have 2s  AB  BC  CA
 2s  x  8  14  6  x
 2s  2x  28
 s  x  14 .
Now, we know that the area of a triangle can be calculated by using the formula
Area  s(s  a)(s  b)(s  c) .
Therefore,
Area of ABC  (14  x)(14  x  6  x)(14  x  8  x)
 x(14  x)(8)(6)
 4 3(14x  x 2 ) .
1
Hence, Area of OBC =  OD  BC
2
Area of OBC =28
1
 Area of OCA =  OF  AC
2

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Area of OCA = 12+2x
1
 Area of OAB =  OE  AB
2
Area of OAB = 16+2x
Therefore, the total area of the triangle ABC will be –
 Area OBC  Area OCA+Area OAB
 4 3(14x  x 2 )  28  12  2x  16x  2x
 3(14x  x 2 )  14  x
 3(14x  x 2 )  (14  x) 2
Hence, after further solving we have –
(x  14)(x  7)  0
 x  14 or
x 7
As, the side cannot be negative in nature, therefore, x  7 cm .
Hence, AB  7  8
 AB  15 cm and
CA  6  7
 CA  13 cm .

13. Prove that opposite sides of a quadrilateral circumscribing a circle subtend

Supplementary angles at the centre of the circle.
Ans:

From the figure given we can observe that the sides of the quadrilateral acts as
tangents to the circle. Therefore, we have –
AOB  COD  180 and
BOC  DOA  180
Now, let us consider two triangles OAP and OAS ,
Hence, we have AP  AS , and
OP  OS
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 OAP  OAS by the SSS congruence criteria.
Thus, POA  AOS
1  8
Also,
2  3 ,
4  5 ,
6  7
Therefore, 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  360
  1  8    2  3   4  5    6  7   360
 21  22  25  26  360
  1  2    5  6   180
 AOB  COD  180
In the similar manner we can prove that BOC  DOA  180 .
Therefore, we have proved that opposite sides of a quadrilateral circumscribing a
circle subtend supplementary angles at the centre of the circle.

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