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5.3 · Q51

Q.Prove by vector method that the angle subtended on a semicircle is a right angle.

Maharashtra MsbshseTextbookSubjectiveImportance★★★★★
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Let the semicircle have centre OO (the midpoint of diameter ABAB) and radius rr, and let PP be any point on

the circle. Then OA→=−OB→\overrightarrow{OA}=-\overrightarrow{OB} (since OO is the midpoint of ABAB) and

∣OA→∣=∣OB→∣=∣OP→∣=r|\overrightarrow{OA}|=|\overrightarrow{OB}|=|\overrightarrow{OP}|=r (all radii).

The angle ∠APB\angle APB is the angle between PA→\overrightarrow{PA} and PB→\overrightarrow{PB}. Write

PA→=OA→−OP→\overrightarrow{PA}=\overrightarrow{OA}-\overrightarrow{OP} and

PB→=OB→−OP→=−OA→−OP→\overrightarrow{PB}=\overrightarrow{OB}-\overrightarrow{OP}=-\overrightarrow{OA}-\overrightarrow{OP}. Their

dot product: …

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