Question:

The angle between the pair of tangents drawn from the point (1, 2) to the ellipse $3x^2 + 2y^2 = 5 $ is

Updated On: Jul 7, 2022
  • $\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{12}{5}\right)$
  • $tan^{-1}\left(\frac{6}{\sqrt{5}}\right)$
  • $tan^{-1}\left(\frac{12}{\sqrt{5}}\right)$
  • $tan^{-1}\left({12}{\sqrt{5}}\right)$
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Combined equation of pair of tangents from $\left(1,2\right)$ to the ellipse $3x^{2}+2y^{2}=5$ is $\left(3x^{2}+2y^{2}-5\right)\left(3+8-5\right) = \left(3x+2y\cdot2 -5\right)^{2}$ $\quad\left(SS_{1} =T^{2}\right)$ i.e., $6\left(3x^{2}+2y^{2}-5\right)= \left(3x+4y-5\right)^{2} $ i.e., $18x^{2}+12y^{2}-30 = 9x^{2}+16y^{2}+25+24xy-30x-40y $ i.e., $9x^{2}-4y^{2} -24xy+30x+40y-55=0 $ $\Rightarrow 9x^{2}-24xy -4y^{2}+30x+40y-55 = 0 $ If $\theta$ is the angle between the pair of tangents, then $ tan\,\theta =\frac{ 2\sqrt{h^{2}-ab}}{a+b} $ Here $a=9, b=-4 ; 2h= -24 $ i.e., $h=-12 $ $ \therefore tan\, \theta =\frac{ 2\sqrt{144+36}}{9-4} = \frac{2\sqrt{180}}{5} $ $= \frac{2\left(6\right)\sqrt{5}}{5} = \frac{12}{\sqrt{5}} $ $ \therefore \theta = tan^{-1} \frac{12}{\sqrt{5}}$
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Concepts Used:

Angle between Two Lines

The two straight lines, whenever intersects, form two sets of angles. The angles so formed after the intersection are;

  • A pair of acute angle
  • Another pair of an obtuse angle

The absolute values of angles created depend on the slopes of the intersecting lines.

It is also worth taking note, that the angle so formed by the intersection of two lines cannot be calculated if any of the lines is parallel to the y-axis as the slope of a line parallel to the y-axis is an indeterminate.

Read More: Angle Between Two Lines