Question

radius of a circle is 5cm the length of a chord of the circle is 8cm find the distance of the chord from the center

Answer 1

draw a figure to make it eassy

Answer 2

draw perpendicular to the chord of the circle and connect the radius to the centre and the end point of the chord.

this will give you a right angled triangle .

now you have the length of the hypotenuse that is the radius that is 5 cm and you have the measure of one side which is half of the chord it is 4 cm as the perpendicular drawn to the chord from the centre of the circle bisects the chord therefore we will take half of the total length of the chord which is 8 divided by 2 is equals to 4 cm . Now use Pythagoras theorem.

therefore, the Equation formed will be,

(5)^2=(4)^2+Length of the segment joining the chord from the center

Therefore, 25-16=√9=3cm

Ans. is 3 cm