Maths : Basic Numeracy

Q 149 / 370

UPSC CSE Prelims 2022

There are eight equidistant points on a circle. How many right-angled triangle can be drawn using these points as vertices and taking the diameter as one side of the triangle?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (A)

A right-angled triangle inscribed in a circle must have its hypotenuse as a diameter of the circle. This is a direct application of Thales's Theorem.

  • There are 8 equidistant points on the circle. These points form 8/2 = 4 distinct diameters. For example, if the points are P1, P2, ..., P8, the diameters would be (P1, P5), (P2, P6), (P3, P7), and (P4, P8).
  • For each diameter, any of the remaining (8 - 2) = 6 points on the circle can serve as the third vertex to form a right-angled triangle with the two points forming that diameter.
  • Therefore, the total number of right-angled triangles is the number of diameters multiplied by the number of possible third vertices per diameter: 4 diameters × 6 points/diameter = 24 triangles.
  • Alternatively, using the formula `2 * n * (n - 1)` where `n` represents the number of distinct diameters, and `n = 8/2 = 4` in this case: `2 * 4 * (4 - 1) = 2 * 4 * 3 = 24`.

Incorrect Options:

Options 16, 12, and 8 are incorrect because they do not align with the calculated number of right-angled triangles formed under the specified conditions, which is 24. These values would result from misapplication of the geometric principle or incorrect counting of diameters or vertices.

Explanation figure for the question: There are eight equidistant points on a circle. How many right-angled triangle can be dra… Explanation figure for the question: There are eight equidistant points on a circle. How many right-angled triangle can be dra…