Tangency, Continued
To draw
tangents to two
circles
To draw tangents to two circles, follow this table:
Step
Action
1
Given two circles with centers marked C1 and C2, move a triangle
or straightedge to connect the centerlines.
2
Place a triangle at the upper arcs of the circles until one side of the
triangle touches both circles C1 and C2.
Draw a line tangent to the
circles.
3
Draw a perpendicular line from the points of tangency to the
centerlines of the circles.
4
Repeat this procedure for the bottom arcs of the two circles.
Figure 2-28 shows how to draw tangents to two circles.
Figure 2-28.—Drawing tangents to two circles.
Continued on next page
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