Lesson 9.

3: Common Tangents and Tangent Circles

Objectives:
 Solve problems involving common internal tangents of circles
 Solve problems involving common external tangents of circles
 Solve problems involving externally tangent circles
 Solve problems involving internally tangent circles

Standards:
MATH.CA.8-12.GEOM.1.0, MATH.CA.8-12.GEOM.7.0, MATH.CA.8-12.GEOM.21.0

MATH.NCTM.9-12.GEOM.1.1

Common tangents to two circles may be internal or external. A common internal tangent would intersect
the line connecting the centers of the two circles whereas a common external tangent would not.

common internal tangent common external tangent

9.3.1 Common External Tangents

Here is an example where you might encounter the use of common external tangents.

Example 1: Find the distance between the centers of the circles in the figure.

40 in
15 in 25 in

C
Solution: Let’s label the diagram and draw a line segment that 40 in
D
joins the centers of the two circles. Also draw the segment AE 15 in 25 in
E
perpendicular the radius BC. A B
Since DC is tangent to both circles, DC is perpendicular to both radii: AD and BC.
We can see that AECD is a rectangle, therefore EC = AD = 15 in.
This means that BE = 25 in – 15 in = 10 in.
ABE is a right triangle with AE = 40 in and BE = 10 in. We can apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find
the missing side, AB.
AB 2  AE 2  BE 2
AB 2  40 2  10 2
AB  41.2 in

The distance between the centers is 41.2 inches.

09.3.2 Common Internal Tangents

Here is an example where you might encounter the use of common internal tangents.
Example 2:

Line segment AB is tangent to both circles. Find the value B

of x and the distance between the centers of the circles. 12 x
C E
Solution:
D
5 8
AC  AB tangent is perpendicular to the radius
A
BD  AB tangent is perpendicular to the radius

CAE  DBE both equal 90 degrees

CEA  BED vertical angles

CEA ~ BED AA similarity postulate

Therefore,

AC AE 5 8 5  12
   x  x  7.5
BD EB x 12 8
Using Pythagorean Theorem on CEA : Using Pythagorean Theorem on BED :
CE 2  AC 2  AE 2 BE 2  BD 2  DE 2
CE 2  5 2  8 2  89 BE 2  7.5 2  12 2  200.25
CE  9.43 BE  14.15

The distance between the centers of the circles is: CE  BE  9.43  14.15  23.58
Two circles are tangent to each other if they have only one common point. Two circles which have two
common points are said to intersect each other.

tangent circles intersecting circles

Two circles can be externally tangent if the circles are situated outside one another and internally tangent
if one of them is situated inside the other.

internally tangent

externally tangent

9.3.2 Externally Tangent Circles

Here are some examples involving externally tangent circles.
S
Example 3: Circles tangent at T are centered at M and N. Line ST is tangent N
35o
to both circles at T. Find the radius of the smaller circle if segments SN and 8 9
SM are perpendicular to each other. T
M
Solution:

ST  TM tangent is perpendicular to the radius

ST  TN tangent is perpendicular to the radius

9 9
In the right triangle STN , cos 35   SN   11
SN cos 35
We are also given that SN  SM .

Therefore, MSN  90  SMT  90  35  55

Also, STN  90  TSN  90  35  55

Therefore, SNM ~ SNT by the AA similarity postulate.

And,
 SN TN 11 9
  
MN SN TM  9 11
9(TM  9)  121
9TM  81  121
9TM  40
TM  4.44

The radius of the smaller circle is approximately 4.44.

Example 4: Two circles that are externally tangent have radii of 12 inches and 8 inches respectively. Find
the length of tangent AB.

B A

Solution:

Label the figure as shown.

In DOQ , OD = 4 and OQ = 20.

O
Therefore, Q
DQ 2 2
 OQ  OD 2 12 D
8
DQ  20 2  4 2  384
2

C B A
DQ  19.6  CB  19.6

AC  QB tangent is perpendicular to the radius

AC  OC tangent is perpendicular to the radius

Therefore, OCA  QBA both equal 90o

OAC  QAB same angle

AOC ~ AQB by the AA similarity postulate.

Therefore,

QB AB 8 AB
    8( AB  19.6)  12 AB
OC AC 12 AB  19.6
8 AB  156.8  12 AB
4 AB  156.8
AB  39.2

9.3.4 Internally Tangent Circles

A
N

48o O B
15
Here is an example involving externally tangent circles.

Example 5: Two diameters of a circle of radius 15 inches are drawn to make an central angle of 48o. A
smaller circle is placed inside the bigger circle so that it is tangent to the bigger circle and to both
diameters. What is the radius of the smaller circle?

Solution:

OA and OB are two tangents to the smaller circle from a common point so by
Theorem 9-3, segment ON bisects AOB  NOB  24 A C
N
NB NB
In ONB we use sin 24   ON   2.46 NB
ON sin 24 48o O B D
15
Draw segment CD from the points of tangency between the circles
perpendicular to OD.

CD
In OCD we use sin 24   CD  sin 24(OC )  0.41(15)  6.1
OC

We also have OB  NB because a tangent is perpendicular to the radius

Therefore,

OBN  ODC both equal 90o

COD  BON same angle

Therefore, ONB ~ OCD by the AA similarity postulate.

ON NB
This gives us the ratio 
OC CD
ON = OC – NC = 15 – NB (NB = NC since they are both radii of the small circle)

15  NB NB
  6.1(15  NB )  15 NB
15 6 .1
91.52  6.1NB  15 NB
91.52  21.1NB
NB  4.34

Homework:
Line CD is tangent to both circles. C

A
B
1. AC = 8, BD = 5, CD = 12. Find AB.
2. AB = 20, AC = 15 and BD = 10. Find CD.
3. AB = 24, AC = 18 and CD = 19. Find BD.
4. AB = 12, CD = 16 and BD = 6. Find AC.

Line AC is tangent to both circles. Find the measure of angle CQB .

5. AO = 9 and AB = 15
6. BQ = 20 and BC = 12 C
O
7. BO = 18, AO = 9
8. CB = 7, CQ = 5 B Q

Find x.
9. DC = 2x + 3; EC = x + 10
A D
10. DC = 4x – 9 ; EC = 2x + 21
F
B

E C

Circles tangent at T are centered at M and N. Line ST is tangent to both circles at T. Find the radius of the
smaller circle if segments SN and SM are perpendicular to each other.
11. SM = 22, TN = 25, SNT  40
S
12. SM = 23, SN = 18, SMT  25 N

T
M

13. Four identical coins are lined up in a row as shown. The distance between the centers of the first and the
fourth coin is 42. What is the radius of one of the coins?

14. Four circles are arranged inside an equilateral triangle as 42

shown. If the triangle has sides equal to 16 cm. What is the
radius of the bigger circle? What are the radii of the smaller circles?
15. The largest circle has a radius of 10 inches. The medium circle has a radius of 8 inches. What is the
radius of the smallest circle tangent to the medium circle?

16. Circles centered at A and B are tangent at T. Show that A, B and T are collinear.

17. TU is a common external tangent to the two circles. Prove that TV  VU  VW .

V U
T

A B
W

18. A circle with a 5-inch radius is centered at A, and a circle with a 12-inch radius is centered at B, where
A and B are 17 inches apart. The common external tangent touches the small circle at P and the large circle
at Q. What kind of quadrilateral is PABQ? What are the lengths of its sides?

Answers:
1. 11.62 2. 19.36 3. 3.34 4. 16.58
o o o
5. 59 6. 36.9 7. 60 8. 54.5o
9. 7 10. 15 11. 6.62 12. 16.22
13. 7 14. 4.62; 2.31 15. 6.4 16. proof
17. proof 18. right trapezoid; AP = 5; BQ = 12; AB = 17; PQ = 15.5