Question 712411: How many cm is the distance from the chord whose length is 16cm,to the center of the circle of radius 24 cm ? Answer by KMST(5328) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! That distance is the length of the segment perpendicular to the chord that goes from the chord to the center of the circle. That segment, the chord and the radii to the ends of the chord form two right triangles.
The right triangles have congruent hypotenuses (the radii),
and congruent long legs (the shared segment from the chord to the center).
Right triangles with a pair of congruent sides are congruent.
The other side (the short leg) must be congruent too,
and since both short legs add up to the 16cm chord,
the short legs measure 8 cm.
We have to find the length of the long leg, .
According to Pythagoras, --> --> --> --> --> --> -->
The approximate value is .
The distance from the chord to the center of the circle is or approximately .
