The circles $x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{a} x+\mathrm{c}=0$ and $x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{~b} y+\mathrm{c}=0$ touch each…

The circles $x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{a} x+\mathrm{c}=0$ and $x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{~b} y+\mathrm{c}=0$ touch each other externally, if
  1. $\frac{1}{a^2}-\frac{1}{b^2}=\frac{1}{c}$
  2. $\frac{1}{\mathrm{a}^2}+\frac{1}{\mathrm{~b}^2}=\frac{1}{\mathrm{c}}$
  3. $\frac{1}{a^2}+\frac{1}{b^2}=\frac{1}{c^2}$
  4. $\frac{1}{a^2}-\frac{1}{b^2}=\frac{1}{c^2}$

Solution

$\begin{aligned} & x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{a} x+\mathrm{c}=0 \\ & \Rightarrow x^2+2 \mathrm{a} x+\mathrm{a}^2+y^2=\mathrm{a}^2-\mathrm{c} \\ & \Rightarrow(x+\mathrm{a})^2+y^2=\left(\sqrt{\mathrm{a}^2-\mathrm{c}}\right)^2 \end{aligned}$ i.e., it is a circle with centre $(-a, 0)$ and radius $\sqrt{\mathrm{a}^2-\mathrm{c}}$ Simiłarly, $\begin{aligned} & x^2+y^2+2 \mathrm{~b} y+\mathrm{c}=0 \\ & \Rightarrow x^2+(y+\mathrm{b})^2=\left(\sqrt{\mathrm{b}^2-\mathrm{c}}\right)^2 \end{aligned}$ i.e., it is a circle with centre $(0,-b)$ and $\text { radius }=t \sqrt{b^2-c}$ $\therefore \quad$ If circles touch externally, then we get Sum of radii $=$ Distance between centres $\begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \sqrt{a^2-c}+\sqrt{b^2-c}=\sqrt{a^2+b^2} \\ & \Rightarrow a^2-c+b^2-c+2 \sqrt{a^2-c} \sqrt{b^2-c}=a^2+b^2 \\ & \Rightarrow\left(a^2-c\right)\left(b^2-c\right)=c^2 \\ & \Rightarrow a^2 b^2-c b^2-c a^2+c^2=c^2 \\ & \Rightarrow \frac{1}{a^2}+\frac{1}{b^2}=\frac{1}{c} \end{aligned}$

Asked in: MHT CET 2023 (12 May Shift 2)

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