Question

Difficulty: MediumEquations of Circles in the Coordinate Plane

In the xyxy-plane, the equation 2x2+2y212x+16y22=02x^2 + 2y^2 - 12x + 16y - 22 = 0 represents a circle. What is the diameter of this circle?

Answer: 12

Answer

The diameter of the circle is 12.
Dividing the given equation 2x2+2y212x+16y22=02x^2 + 2y^2 - 12x + 16y - 22 = 0 by 2 gives x2+y26x+8y11=0x^2 + y^2 - 6x + 8y - 11 = 0. Grouping the xx and yy terms and moving the constant to the right side gives (x26x)+(y2+8y)=11(x^2 - 6x) + (y^2 + 8y) = 11. To complete the square, add (62)2=9(\frac{-6}{2})^2 = 9 and (82)2=16(\frac{8}{2})^2 = 16 to both sides, yielding (x26x+9)+(y2+8y+16)=11+9+16(x^2 - 6x + 9) + (y^2 + 8y + 16) = 11 + 9 + 16, which simplifies to (x3)2+(y+4)2=36(x-3)^2 + (y+4)^2 = 36. Since the standard equation of a circle is (xh)2+(yk)2=r2(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2, the radius squared r2r^2 is 36, which means the radius rr is 6. The diameter is twice the radius, so 2×6=122 \times 6 = 12.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the entire equation by 2.
x2+y26x+8y11=0x^2 + y^2 - 6x + 8y - 11 = 0
To simplify the coefficients of x2x^2 and y2y^2 to 1, which is necessary before completing the square.
2
Group the variables and move the constant term.
(x26x)+(y2+8y)=11(x^2 - 6x) + (y^2 + 8y) = 11
To isolate the quadratic and linear terms for both xx and yy on one side of the equation.
3
Complete the square for both variables by adding the appropriate values to both sides.
(x3)2+(y+4)2=36(x - 3)^2 + (y + 4)^2 = 36
Adding 9 (which is (62)2(\frac{-6}{2})^2) and 16 (which is (82)2(\frac{8}{2})^2) to both sides allows us to rewrite the trinomials as perfect squares: (x3)2(x-3)^2 and (y+4)2(y+4)^2. The right side becomes 11+9+16=3611 + 9 + 16 = 36.
4
Find the radius and calculate the diameter.
Diameter = 12
Comparing the equation to the standard form (xh)2+(yk)2=r2(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2 shows that r2=36r^2 = 36, so the radius rr is 6. The diameter is 2r=2(6)=122r = 2(6) = 12.

Key Concept

Converting a circle's equation from general form to standard form by completing the square to identify its geometric properties.
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