A triangle has corners at (2 , 6 ), (3 ,9 ), and (4 ,5 ). What is the radius of the triangle's inscribed circle?

1 Answer
May 15, 2016

Radius of triangle's inscribed circle is 0.6864

Explanation:

If the sides of a triangle are a, b and c, then the area of the triangle Delta is given by the formula

Delta=sqrt(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s=1/2(a+b+c)

and radius of inscribed circle is Delta/s

Hence let us find the sides of triangle formed by (2,6), (3,9) and (4,5). This will be surely distance between pair of points, which is

a=sqrt((3-2)^2+(9-6)^2)=sqrt(1+9)=sqrt10=3.1623

b=sqrt((4-3)^2+(5-9)^2)=sqrt(1+16)=sqrt17=4.1231 and

c=sqrt((4-2)^2+(5-6)^2)=sqrt(4+1)=sqrt5=2.2631

Hence s=1/2(3.1623+4.1231+2.2631)1/2xx9.5485=4.7742

and Delta=sqrt(4.7742xx(4.7742-3.1623)xx(4.7742-4.1231)xx(4.7742-2.2631)

= sqrt(4.7742xx1.6119xx0.6511xx2.1432)=sqrt10.7386=3.277

And radius of inscribed circle is 3.277/4.7742=0.6864