document.write( "Question 964121: Suppose a radius of a circle is 17 units long and a chord is 30 units long! Draw the circle! Find distance from center of the circle to the chord \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #589021 by LinnW(1048) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Let A represent the center of the circle. Let the point B be a point at the intersection of the one end of the chord and the edge of the circle. Finally, let C represent a point between the center of the circle and the midpoint of the cord. The triangle ABC is a right triangle with a 90 degree angle at ACB. Since the cord length is 30, the bisected segment BC is length 15 .
\n" ); document.write( "(length AB)^2 = (length BC)^2 + (length AC)^2
\n" ); document.write( "17^2 = 15^2 + (length AC)^2
\n" ); document.write( "289 = 225 + (length AC)^2
\n" ); document.write( "add -225 to each side
\n" ); document.write( " 64 = (length AC)^2
\n" ); document.write( "take square root of each side
\n" ); document.write( " 8 = length AC \n" ); document.write( "

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