UKMT Pink Kangaroo, 2016

Geometry Difficulty 2.0 Junior Find the answer United Kingdom

A square is split into nine identical squares, each with sides of length one unit. Circles are inscribed in two of these squares, as shown. What is the shortest distance between the two circles?

(A) $2\sqrt{2} - 1$ (B) $\sqrt{2} + 1$ (C) $2\sqrt{2}$ (D) $2$ (E) $3$

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