Let one end of a focal chord of the parabola y2 = 16x be (16, 16). If P( , ) divides this focal chord internally in the ratio 5 : 2, then the minimum value of + is equal to:
- 5
- 7
- 22
- 16
Answer
(2) 7
Solution
For y2 = 16x, a = 4 and a point is (4t2, 8t); (16, 16) gives t1 = 2.
For a focal chord t1 t2 = -1, so t2 = - 12 and the other end is (1, -4).
Case 1: P divides from (16, 16) to (1, -4) in 5 : 2:
P = ( 5 + 327, -20 + 327 ) = ( 377, 127 ), so + = 7
Case 2: P divides from (1, -4) to (16, 16) in 5 : 2:
P = ( 80 + 27, 80 - 87 ) = ( 827, 727 ), so + = 22
Minimum value of + = 7
Answer: (2)