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#