Precalculus (6th Edition) Blitzer

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-13446-914-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-13446-914-0

Chapter 1 - Section 1.9 - Distance and Midpoint Formulas; Circles - Exercise Set - Page 281: 87

Answer

The given statement makes sense.

Work Step by Step

The equation of a circle in the standard form is ${{\left( x-h \right)}^{2}}+{{\left( y-k \right)}^{2}}={{r}^{2}}$, where $\left( h,k \right)$ are positive and represent the center of the circle. However, consider the case when the equation of the circle is ${{\left( x+h \right)}^{2}}+{{\left( y+k \right)}^{2}}={{r}^{2}}$, where $\left( h,k \right)$ are negative and represent the center of the circle. Now, converting the equation into the standard form, we get ${{\left( x-\left( -h \right) \right)}^{2}}+{{\left( y-\left( -k \right) \right)}^{2}}={{r}^{2}}$. Therefore, in order to avoid the error when finding $h$ and $k$, parentheses are placed around the numbers that follow the subtraction sign in a circle’s equation. Thus, the statement makes a sense.
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