1. ## tangent

hi, could someone show me the steps to answering this question please?

show that the lengths of the tangents from the point $(h, k)$ to the circle $x^2 + y^2 + 2fx + 2gy + c = 0$ are $\sqrt {h^2 + k^2 + 2fh + 2gk + c}$

thanks, Mark

2. show that the lengths of the tangents from the point to the circle are

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

equation of a circle: (x + f)^2 + (y + g)^2 = 2 - c = (sqrt(2 - c))^2.

a line tangent to circle forms a right triangle, where the point of tangency as the right angle, one point at the center of a circle (-f,-g) and the other at a certain point (h,k.)

use distance formula . . . .

3. hi, i sort of see where you're going with that. but wouldn't there be a left over or something that you'd have to minus after you put the equation into brackets ie $f^2$ and $g^2$ in

$(x + f)^2 - f^2 + (y + g)^2 - g^2 = - c$
$\implies$ $(x + f)^2 + (y + g)^2 = - c + g^2 + f^2$

or is that wrong?