How Do You Prove Point Equidistance and Find Loci in Geometry?

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the locus of a variable point in terms of two given points and proving the equality of two expressions. The first part involves finding the locus using the distance formula, while the second part involves using the properties of a circle to find the locus. The solution was found by using the equation x^2/a^2+y^2/b^2=1.
  • #1
Kartik.
55
1
1. A point P(x,y) is given equidistant from the points A(a+b,b-a) and B(a-b,a+b), then prove that bx = ay
also find the locus of the variable point Z(a cos (theta), b sin (theta)), where (theta) is a variable quantity.




2. T0 prove that ax = by



3. In an attempt towards implementing what's given, i applied the distance formula knowing the fact that it will be a lengthy solution but still i did not came up with an answer.
and the second part of the question, i am still doubtful about how to find a locus to a variable point. The value of theta is variable so, the x-coordinate and y-coordinate will oscillate from [-1,1].
 
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  • #2
For the first one, could you show us what you've done? You can skip some trivial working out steps to save yourself time if you like, but the important parts would be what equality you set up by using the distance formula, and what answer you arrived at at the end.

For the second, it's quite similar to solving the locus of a circle [itex](x,y)=(a\cos\theta,a\sin\theta)[/itex] except now in this case we have a b constant as well, so simply using [itex]x^2+y^2=a^2[/itex] won't work.

But what about [tex]\frac{x^2}{a^2}[/tex] can you see a way of using this and doing something similar for the y variable?
 
  • #3
Solved 'em all. Thank you.
Not with the distance formula but deriving the locus of the point equidistant from A and B. for the second one its x^2/a^2+y^2/b^2 = 1
 

Related to How Do You Prove Point Equidistance and Find Loci in Geometry?

1. What is a straight line?

A straight line is a mathematical concept that refers to a perfectly straight path that extends infinitely in both directions. It has no curves or bends and can be represented by a simple equation, y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.

2. How do you determine the slope of a straight line?

The slope of a straight line is a measure of its steepness and can be found by dividing the change in the y-coordinates by the change in the x-coordinates between any two points on the line. This is represented by the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).

3. What is the significance of the y-intercept in a straight line?

The y-intercept is the point where the line crosses the y-axis. It represents the value of y when x is equal to 0. In real-life applications, the y-intercept can have different meanings depending on the context, but in mathematics, it is used to find the starting point of a line and to graph equations.

4. How can you determine if two lines are parallel?

If two lines have the same slope, they are parallel. This means that they have the same steepness and will never intersect. In other words, they will always remain the same distance apart. To find the slope of a line, you can use the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) and compare the results for both lines.

5. How do you use a straight line to solve real-world problems?

Straight lines and their equations are used in a variety of real-world applications, such as calculating distances, rates, and proportions. For example, a straight line can be used to determine the speed of a moving object or the growth rate of a population. By graphing the equation of a line, we can also make predictions and analyze trends in data sets.

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