EMAT 6700
by Brad Simmons
Tangent Circles
Use geometer's sketchpad investigate tangent circles.
Two circles in the same plane are tangent circles is they have exactly one point in common.
Tangent circles with no common interior point are externally tangent.
If tangent circles have common interior points, then they are internally tangent.
Three or more circles are mutually tangent if each pair of them are tangent.
For more information about Tangent Circles please click here.
1. Make sketches to show all possible positions of three mutually tangent circles.
2. Make sketches to show all possible positions of four mutually tangent circles.
3. Make sketches to show all possible positions of five mutually tangent circles.
4. Write a conjecture about the number of possible positions for n mutually tangent circles if n is a whole number greater than 4.