Circle A has radius 5, and Circle B has radius 2. If CD = 12 and is a common tangent, what is AB?
Step 1: Mark point "X" on AC at the end of the blue line segment.
Step 2: BX = DC ---> BX = ...
Step 3: XC = BD ---> XC = ...
Step 4: AX = AC - XC ---> AX = ...
Step 5: Use the Pythagorean Theorem on triangle(AXB) to find AB ...
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\(\overline {AB}^2=12^2+(5-2)^2\\ =144+9\\ =153\\ \overline{AB}= \sqrt{153}\)
\(\overline{AB}=12.369\)
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