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NCERT Exemplar · Q1

Q.Find the equation of the circle which touches the both axes in first quadrant and whose radius is aa.

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A circle touching both axes in the first quadrant with radius aa has its center at (a,a)(a, a), leading to the equation (x−a)2+(y−a)2=a2(x-a)^2 + (y-a)^2 = a^2.

To find the equation of a circle, we primarily need two pieces of information: its center and its radius. The standard form of a circle's equation directly uses these values.

The standard equation of a circle with center (h,k)(h, k) and radius rr is:

(x−h)2+(y−k)2=r2(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2

Here, hh and kk are the x and y coordinates of the center, respectively, and rr is the radius. Our task is to use the given conditions to determine hh, kk, and rr.

The problem states two crucial conditions:

  1. The circle touches both the x-axis and the y-axis.
  2. It is located in the first quadrant.
  3. Its radius is aa.

Let's break down how these conditions help us find the center (h,k)(h, k) and radius rr.

  1. Identify the radius:

    The problem explicitly states that the radius of the circle is aa.

    So, we have r=ar = a.

  2. Determine the coordinates of the center (h,k)(h, k):

    • Touching the x-axis: If a circle touches the x-axis, the perpendicular distance from its center to the x-axis must be equal to its radius. This distance is simply the absolute value of the y-coordinate of the center. Since the circle is in the first quadrant, its center's y-coordinate must be positive. Therefore, k=rk = r.
    • Touching the y-axis: Similarly, if a circle touches the y-axis, the perpendicular distance from its center to the y-axis must be equal to its radius. This distance is the absolute value of the x-coordinate of the center. Since the circle is in the first quadrant, its center's x-coordinate must also be positive. Therefore, h=rh = r.

    Combining these, and knowing r=ar=a, the center of the circle must be (a,a)(a, a).

    Tip

    For a circle touching both axes, its center will always be (±r,±r)(\pm r, \pm r), where the signs depend on the quadrant.

    • First Quadrant: (r,r)(r, r)
    • Second Quadrant: (−r,r)(-r, r)
    • Third Quadrant: (−r,−r)(-r, -r)
    • Fourth Quadrant: (r,−r)(r, -r)
  3. Substitute the center and radius into the standard equation:

    Now we have all the necessary components:

    • Center (h,k)=(a,a)(h, k) = (a, a)
    • Radius r=ar = a

    Substitute these values into the standard equation (x−h)2+(y−k)2=r2(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2:

(x−a)2+(y−a)2=a2(x-a)^2 + (y-a)^2 = a^2

This is the equation of the circle. We can also expand it to the general form $x^2 + y^2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0$:

x2−2ax+a2+y2−2ay+a2=a2x^2 - 2ax + a^2 + y^2 - 2ay + a^2 = a^2

x2+y2−2ax−2ay+a2=0x^2 + y^2 - 2ax - 2ay + a^2 = 0

Both forms are correct, but the first one directly reflects the center and radius.
✓Final answer

The equation of the circle is (x−a)2+(y−a)2=a2\boxed{(x-a)^2 + (y-a)^2 = a^2}.

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