A triangle has corners at (5 , 2 ), (9 ,9 ), and (6 ,8 ). What is the radius of the triangle's inscribed circle?

1 Answer
Oct 24, 2016

Radius of triangle's inscribed circle is 0.9733

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 (5,2), (9,9) and (6,8). This will be surely distance between pair of points, which is

a=sqrt((9-5)^2+(9-2)^2)=sqrt(16+49)=sqrt65=8.0623

b=sqrt((6-9)^2+(8-9)^2)=sqrt(9+1)=sqrt10=3.1623 and

c=sqrt((6-5)^2+(8-2)^2)=sqrt(1+36)=sqrt37=6.0828

Hence s=1/2(8.0623+3.1623+6.0828)=1/2xx17.3074=8.6537

and Delta=sqrt(8.6537xx(8.6537-8.0623)xx(8.6537-3.1623)xx(8.6537-6.0828)

= sqrt(8.6537xx0.5914xx5.3914xx2.5709)=sqrt70.9365=8.4224

And radius of inscribed circle is 8.4224/8.6537=0.9733