How do I solve for the common external tangent when the only given is the value of the two radius?
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How do I solve for the common external tangent when the only given is the value of the two radius?
For your question, though the information provided is not complete.
For this solution, as seen in the attached image, I assumed that the two circles are side by side, thus the distance between the centers of the two circles is the sum of the radii.
We represent the lines with a right triangle with legs 6 and
and hypotenuse, 10.
Thus, using the Pythagoras theorem, we have
.
Therefore, the length of an external tangent is 8.