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Conic Sections
Parabola
Hard

Question

Let the line L:2x+y=α\mathrm{L}: \sqrt{2} x+y=\alpha pass through the point of the intersection P\mathrm{P} (in the first quadrant) of the circle x2+y2=3x^2+y^2=3 and the parabola x2=2yx^2=2 y. Let the line L\mathrm{L} touch two circles C1\mathrm{C}_1 and C2\mathrm{C}_2 of equal radius 232 \sqrt{3}. If the centres Q1Q_1 and Q2Q_2 of the circles C1C_1 and C2C_2 lie on the yy-axis, then the square of the area of the triangle PQ1Q2\mathrm{PQ}_1 \mathrm{Q}_2 is equal to ___________.

Answer: 2

Solution

Here is the rewritten solution, aiming for clarity, elaboration, and educational value for a JEE student.


Detailed Solution for Triangle Area Calculation

The problem asks us to find the square of the area of a triangle PQ1Q2\mathrm{PQ}_1 \mathrm{Q}_2. To do this, we need to:

  1. Find the coordinates of point P.
  2. Determine the equation of line L.
  3. Find the coordinates of the centres Q1Q_1 and Q2Q_2.
  4. Calculate the area of triangle PQ1Q2\mathrm{PQ}_1 \mathrm{Q}_2.
  5. Square the calculated area.

1. Finding the Point of Intersection P

Key Concept: To find the points where two curves intersect, we must solve their equations simultaneously. The coordinates of any intersection point must satisfy both equations.

We are given the equations for the circle and the parabola:

  1. Circle: x2+y2=3x^2 + y^2 = 3
  2. Parabola: x2=2yx^2 = 2y

Step-by-step working: Since both equations contain x2x^2, the most efficient way to solve them simultaneously is by substitution. Substitute the expression for x2x^2 from the parabola equation (x2=2yx^2=2y) into the circle equation: (2y)+y2=3(2y) + y^2 = 3 Rearrange this equation to form a standard quadratic equation in yy: y2+2y3=0y^2 + 2y - 3 = 0 Now, we solve this quadratic equation for yy. We can factorize it: (y+3)(y1)=0(y+3)(y-1) = 0 This yields two possible values for yy: y=3ory=1y = -3 \quad \text{or} \quad y = 1

Explanation and Selection: The problem statement specifies that point P lies in the first quadrant. In the first quadrant, both the xx and yy coordinates must be positive. Therefore, we must choose the positive value for yy. So, the yy-coordinate of P is yP=1y_P = 1.

Next, we substitute yP=1y_P=1 back into the parabola equation x2=2yx^2=2y to find the corresponding xx-coordinate: x2=2(1)x^2 = 2(1) x2=2x^2 = 2 Taking the square root of both sides gives: x=±2x = \pm \sqrt{2} Again, since P is in the first quadrant, its xx-coordinate must be positive. So, the xx-coordinate of P is xP=2x_P = \sqrt{2}.

Result: The point of intersection P in the first quadrant is (2,1)(\sqrt{2}, 1).

Tip for JEE: Always pay close attention to conditions like "first quadrant," "positive x-axis," etc. They are crucial for selecting the correct solution from multiple possibilities and avoiding incorrect subsequent calculations.


2. Determining the Equation of Line L

Key Concept: If a line passes through a specific point, the coordinates of that point must satisfy the line's equation. This property allows us to determine unknown parameters in the line's equation.

We are given the general equation of line L: 2x+y=α\sqrt{2}x + y = \alpha We have just found that line L passes through point P(2,1)(\sqrt{2}, 1).

Step-by-step working: Substitute the coordinates of P(2,1)(\sqrt{2}, 1) into the equation of L to find the value of α\alpha: 2(2)+1=α\sqrt{2}(\sqrt{2}) + 1 = \alpha 2+1=α2 + 1 = \alpha α=3\alpha = 3

Result: The complete equation of line L is 2x+y=3\sqrt{2}x + y = 3. For distance calculations, it's often useful to write the line in the general form Ax+By+C=0Ax+By+C=0: 2x+y3=0\sqrt{2}x + y - 3 = 0 Here, A=2A=\sqrt{2}, B=1B=1, and C=3C=-3.


3. Locating the Centres of Circles C1C_1 and C2C_2

Key Concepts:

  1. Centre on y-axis: If a point lies on the y-axis, its x-coordinate is 0. Therefore, the centres Q1Q_1 and Q2Q_2 will have coordinates of the form (0,k)(0, k).
  2. Condition for Tangency: A line is tangent to a circle if and only if the perpendicular distance from the centre of the circle to the line is exactly equal to the radius of the circle.

Given Information:

  • The radius of circles C1C_1 and C2C_2 is R=23R = 2\sqrt{3}.
  • The centres Q1=(0,k1)Q_1=(0, k_1) and Q2=(0,k2)Q_2=(0, k_2) lie on the y-axis.
  • Line L: 2x+y3=0\sqrt{2}x + y - 3 = 0 is tangent to both circles.

Formula: The perpendicular distance dd from a point (x0,y0)(x_0, y_0) to a line Ax+By+C=0Ax+By+C=0 is given by: d=Ax0+By0+CA2+B2d = \frac{|Ax_0+By_0+C|}{\sqrt{A^2+B^2}}

Step-by-step working: For line L, we have A=2A=\sqrt{2}, B=1B=1, C=3C=-3. For a generic centre Q=(0,k)Q=(0, k), we have x0=0x_0=0, y0=ky_0=k. The distance from Q(0,k)Q(0, k) to line L must be equal to the radius R=23R=2\sqrt{3}.

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