If a tangent of slope 2 to the ellipse $\frac{x^2}{a^2}+\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1$ touches the circle $x^2+y^2=4$,…

If a tangent of slope 2 to the ellipse $\frac{x^2}{a^2}+\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1$ touches the circle $x^2+y^2=4$, then maximum value of $a b$ is
  1. 4
  2. 12
  3. 5
  4. 7

Solution

Given the ellipse, $\frac{x^2}{a^2}+\frac{y^2}{b^2}=1$ Since, tangent to the given ellipse with slope $m=2$ is given as $y=m x \pm \sqrt{a^2 m^2+b^2} \Rightarrow y=2 x \pm \sqrt{4 a^2+b^2}$ $\because$ it touches the circle $x^2+y^2=4$ So, $2=\frac{\sqrt{4 a^2+b^2}}{\sqrt{1+4}}$ [distance from origin to the tangent] $\begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \sqrt{4 a^2+b^2}=2 \sqrt{5} \Rightarrow 4 a^2+b^2=20 \\ & \because A \cdot M . \geq G \cdot M . \Rightarrow \frac{4 a^2+b^2}{2} \geq \sqrt{4 a^2 b^2} \\ & \Rightarrow 10 \geq 2 a b \Rightarrow a b \leq 5 \end{aligned}$ So, maximum value of $a b=5$.

Asked in: AP EAMCET 2024 (19 May Shift 2)

Practice more Ellipse questions on Aicharya