document.write( "Question 1208377: Find the equation of the circle passing through the points (1,2),(3,6),(5,4).\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #846769 by math_tutor2020(3817)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Answer: \"%28x-8%2F3%29%5E2%2B%28y-11%2F3%29%5E2=50%2F9\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Explanation\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let
\n" ); document.write( "A = (1,2)
\n" ); document.write( "B = (3,6)
\n" ); document.write( "C = (5,4)
\n" ); document.write( "The order of the points does not matter.
\n" ); document.write( "The labels are there to help set up the other items mentioned in this solution page.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The circle you're trying to find is known as a circumcircle aka circumscribed circle.
\n" ); document.write( "The circumcenter is the center of the circumcircle.
\n" ); document.write( "The circumcenter is at the intersection of the perpendicular bisectors.
\n" ); document.write( "Check out this page to see how to find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of AB.
\n" ); document.write( "That page concludes with the equations x+2y=10 and y=(-1/2)x+5.
\n" ); document.write( "The equation I'll use is x+2y=10.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Follow a similar process to determine an equation for the perpendicular bisector of BC is x-y=-1.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solving this system \"system%28x%2B2y+=+10%2Cx-y+=+-1%29\" will pinpoint the circumcenter. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Subtract the equations.
\n" ); document.write( "This is to cancel the x terms so you can solve for y.
\n" ); document.write( "You should get 3y = 11 which solves to y = 11/3.
\n" ); document.write( "This is the y coordinate of the center of the circle.
\n" ); document.write( "Plug y = 11/3 into either x+2y=10 or x-y=-1. Solve for x. You should get x = 8/3.
\n" ); document.write( "I'll leave the scratch work for the student to do. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The center of the circle is located at (h,k) = (8/3,11/3)
\n" ); document.write( "h = 8/3 = 2.6667 approximately
\n" ); document.write( "k = 11/3 = 3.6667 approximately
\n" ); document.write( "For each decimal the '6's go on forever but we have to round at some point.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So we have the center of this circle.
\n" ); document.write( "We now need the radius.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Use the distance formula
\n" ); document.write( "\"d+=+sqrt%28+%28x%5B2%5D-x%5B1%5D%29%5E2%2B%28y%5B2%5D-y%5B1%5D%29%5E2+%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "to calculate the distance from the center (8/3,11/3) to any of the three points A,B or C.
\n" ); document.write( "This will yield the radius r.
\n" ); document.write( "I'll let the student do the scratch work.
\n" ); document.write( "You should get \"r+=+%285%2F3%29%2Asqrt%282%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Square both sides to get \"r%5E2+=+50%2F9\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Side note: \"%285%2F3%29%2Asqrt%282%29=2.357023\" approximately and \"50%2F9+=+5.55556\" approximately
\n" ); document.write( "The decimal 5.55556 should have the '5's go on forever, but we have to round at some point.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Summary:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(h,k) = (8/3, 11/3) is the center
\n" ); document.write( "\"r+=+%285%2F3%29%2Asqrt%282%29\" is the radius which has both sides square to \"r%5E2+=+50%2F9\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The circle template \"%28x-h%29%5E2%2B%28y-k%29%5E2=r%5E2\" updates to the final answer \"%28x-8%2F3%29%5E2%2B%28y-11%2F3%29%5E2=50%2F9\"
\n" ); document.write( "You can verify by using GeoGebra or Desmos
\n" ); document.write( "There are many other similar tools.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Another way to verify would be to plug the coordinates of points A,B,C into the answer equation. Simplifying everything should lead to the same number on each side.
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