Let the circles and intersect at two points and , and let be a common tangent of and that touches and at and respectively. If and , evaluate the angle .
Solution
Figure (Asymptote source)
size(15cm,0); draw((0,0)--(0,2)--(4,2)--(4,-3)--(0,0)); draw((-1,2)--(9,2)); draw((0,0)--(2,2)); draw((2,2)--(1,1)); draw((0,0)--(4,2)); draw((0,2)--(1,1)); draw(circle((0,1),1)); draw(circle((4,-3),5)); dot((0,0)); dot((0,2)); dot((2,2)); dot((4,2)); dot((4,-3)); dot((1,1)); dot((0,1)); label("A",(0,0),NW); label("B",(1,1),SE); label("M",(0,2),N); label("N",(4,2),N); label("$O_1$",(0,1),NW); label("$O_2$",(4,-3),NE); label("$k_1$",(-0.7,1.63),NW); label("$k_2$",(7.6,0.46),NE); label("$t$",(7.5,2),N); label("P",(2,2),N); draw(rightanglemark((0,0),(0,2),(2,2))); draw(rightanglemark((0,2),(1,1),(2,2))); draw(rightanglemark((0,2),(4,2),(4,0)));
Let and be the centers of circles and respectively. Also let be the intersection of and line .
Note that is perpendicular to since is a tangent of . In order for to be perpendicular to , must be the point diametrically opposite . Note that is a right angle since it inscribes a diameter. By AA similarity, . This gives that .
By Power of a Point on point with respect to circle , we have that . Using Power of a Point on point with respect to circle gives that . Therefore and . Since , . We now see that is a triangle. Since it is similar to , .
Solution by Someonenumber011 :)
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