Two secant segments are drawn to a circle from a point outside the circle. The external segment of the first secant segment is 8 centimeters and its internal segment is 6 centimeters. If the entire length of the second secant segment is 28 centimeters, what is the length of its external segment?
8*6 = 28*x
mmmhhhh
http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1386103063
To answer this question, we can use the property of intersecting secants. According to the property, when two secant segments are drawn from a point outside a circle, the product of the lengths of the external segment and its entire length is equal to the product of the lengths of the internal segment and its entire length.
So, let's assume the length of the external segment of the second secant segment is "x" centimeters.
The entire length of the second secant segment is given as 28 centimeters.
Using the property of intersecting secants, we can set up the following equation:
8 (external segment of the first secant segment) * 28 (entire length of the second secant segment) = 6 (internal segment of the first secant segment) * x (external segment of the second secant segment)
Simplifying the equation:
8 * 28 = 6 * x
224 = 6x
Now, we can solve for "x" by dividing both sides of the equation by 6:
x = 224 / 6
x ≈ 37.33
Therefore, the length of the external segment of the second secant segment is approximately 37.33 centimeters.