Equation of tangent at a point to a circle:

Circle: ! x 2 + y 2 = r 2
Point : ! ( x1 , y1 )
2
! xx1 + yy1 r = 0

Park stra
Equation of the circle is ! x 2 + y 2 r 2 = 0

Change !

x 2 xx1
y 2 yy1

and do not make any changes to the term which does not involve ! x or ! y.

This will give us the equation of the tangent at the point ! B( x1 , y1 ) .

!
Tangent is perpendicular to the line which passes through the centre and the given point.
Slope of the line which passes through O and B is !

Slope of the tangent at B! =

Equation of the tangent is

y y1 =

x1
( x x1 )
y1

! yy1 y12 = xx1 + x12

yy1 + xx1 = x12 + y12 = r 2

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x1
y1

y1
x1


Equation of tangent at a point to a circle:

Circle: ! x 2 + y 2 + 2gx + 2 fy + c = 0
Point : ! ( x1 , y1 )
! xx1 + yy1 + g ( x + x1 ) + f ( y + y1 ) + c = 0
Park stra
Equation of the circle is ! x 2 + y 2 + 2gx + 2 fy + c = 0

x 2 xx1
Change !

y 2 yy1
and do not make any changes to the term which does not involve ! x or ! y.
2x x + x1
2y y + y1

This will give us the equation of the tangent at the point ! B( x1 , y1 ) .

!
Tangent is perpendicular to the line which passes through the centre and the given point.

!
Slope of the line which passes through O and B is !

Slope of the tangent at B! =

y1 + f
x1 + g

x1 + g
y1 + f

Equation of the tangent is

y y1 =

x1 + g
( x x1 )
y1 + f

! yy1 + fy y12 fy1 = xx1 + x12 gx + gx1

xx1 + yy1 + gx + fy = x12 + y12 + gx1 + fy1

add ! gx1 + fy1 + c to both sides

! xx1 + yy1 + g ( x + x1 ) + f ( y + y1 ) + c = x12 + y12 + 2gx1 + 2 fy1 + c

as we know that the point ! ( x1 , y1 ) is on the circle, the term on the right is zero.
answer is, then
! xx1 + yy1 + g ( x + x1 ) + f ( y + y1 ) + c = 0
The equation to the tangent at ! ( x1 , y1 ) is therefore, obtained from that of the circle itself by substituting ! xx1
for ! x 2 , ! yy1 for ! y 2 , ! x + x1 for ! 2x and ! y + y1 for ! 2y.

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Equation of tangent at a point to a circle:

Circle: ! ( x ) + ( y ) = r 2
2

Point : ! ( x1 , y1 )
! ( x ) ( x1 ) + ( y ) ( y1 ) = r

Park stra
Equation of the circle is

( x )2 + ( y )2 = r 2
!

which is same as
x + y 2 x 2 y + + r = 0
2

use

#2
!

to write the equation of the tangent.

xx1 + yy1 ( x + x1 ) ( y + y1 ) + 2 + 2 r 2 = 0
!

which is same as

( x )( x1 ) + ( y )( y1 ) = r 2 .

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Equation of tangent to any conic

The equation of the tangent to a conic whose equation is given in the general form
! f ( x, y ) ax 2 + 2hxy + by 2 + 2gx + 2 fy + c = 0. ( 01]
is
! axx1 + h ( xy1 + yx1 ) + byy1 + g ( x + x1 ) + f ( y + y1 ) + c = 0.
!
Let ! ( x1 , y1 ) and ! ( x2 , y2 ) denote two points on the conic, so that ! f ( x1 , y1 ) 0 and ! f ( x2 , y2 ) 0 . To find the
equation of the secant through ! ( x1 , y1 ) and ! ( x2 , y2 ) , proceed as follows:

!
The terms of the second degree in ! f ( x, y ) are the same as the terms of the second degree in the expression
! a ( x x1 ) ( x x2 ) + 2h ( x x1 ) ( y y2 ) + b ( y y1 ) ( y y2 ) ( 02 ]
which, like ! f ( x, y ) , vanishes when ! x = x1 , y = y1 , and when ! x = x2 , y = y2 .

!
Hence the equation formed by setting ! f ( x, y ) equal to the expression ! 2 , namely the equation,
! a ( x x1 ) ( x x2 ) + 2h ( x x1 ) ( y y2 ) + b ( y y1 ) ( y y2 ) = f ( x, y ) ,
will when simplified, be of the first degree, and it will be satisfied ! x = x1 , y = y1 , and when ! x = x2 , y = y2 .
It will therefore be the equation of the secant through ! ( x1 , y1 ) , ( x2 , y2 ) .

!
When the point ! ( x2 , y2 ) is moved along the curve into coincidence with ! ( x1 , y1 ) , the secant becomes the
tangent at ! ( x1 , y1 ) and the equation just described becomes the equation of this tangent. Hence the equation
of the tangent at ! ( x1 , y1 ) is
! a ( x x1 ) + 2h ( x x1 ) ( y y1 ) + b ( y y1 ) = f ( x, y ) ,
2

or,

2axx1 + 2h ( xy1 + yx1 ) + 2byy1 + 2gx + 2 fy + c =

ax12 + 2hx1 y1 + by12 .

If ! 2gx1 + 2 fy1 + c be added to both members of this equation. the right member will vanish, since
! f ( x1 , y1 ) 0 , and the equation, after dividing by 2, will become
! axx1 + h ( xy1 + yx1 ) + byy1 + g ( x + x1 ) + f ( y + y1 ) + c = 0. 03
Hence, to obtain the equation of the tangent at the point ! ( x1 , y1 ) from the equation of the curve, it is only
necessary to replace ! x 2 and ! y 2 by ! xx1 and ! yy1 , ! 2xy by ! xy1 and ! x1 y , and ! 2x and ! 2y by ! x + x1 and ! y + y1 .
It is convenient to write T for the expression on the left side.

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Poles and polars

The equation ! 03 represents a tangent to the conic ! 01 only when the point ! ( x1 , y1 ) is on the conic. But,
whether the point lies on the conic or not, the equation represents a definite straight line. This line is called
the polar of the point ! ( x1 , y1 ) with respect to the conic ! 01 , and ! ( x1 , y1 ) is called the pole of the line.
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If the polar of the point G! ( x1 , y1 ) passes through the point H! ( x2 , y2 ) , then will the polar of H pass

through G.
!
For, the equations of the polars of G and H are
! xx1 + yy1 = r 2
! xx2 + yy2 = r 2 .
But since H lies on ! 01 ,
! x2 x1 + y2 y1 = r 2 ,
which may also be written
! x1 x2 + y1 y2 = r 2 ,
and therefore states that G lies on ! ( 02 ] .

If the polars of two points G and D meet at O, then O is the pole of the line GD.

For, since O lies on the polars of both G and D, its polar must pass through both G and D and must therefore
be the line GD.

If the point G! ( x1 , y1 ) lies without the circle ! x 2 + y 2 = r 2 , its polar ! xx1 + yy1 = r 2 is the line joining

the points of contact of the tangents from G to the circle.

If the point G! ( x1 , y1 ) lies within the circle ! x 2 + y 2 = r 2 , its polar ! xx1 + yy1 = r 2 is the locus of the

point of intersection of the tangents at the extremities of every chord of the circle which passes through G.

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