Question

A 30-inch chord in a circle is 8 inches from the center of the circle, as shown in the following figure.

Answer 1

Answer:

17 inches

Step-by-step explanation:

See the attached image.  Connect the center of the circle to one endpoint of the chord.  That forms a right triangle because the radius is drawn perpendicular to the chord -- that's how the distance from center to chord is measured.

The radius splits the chord into two equal parts, each 15 inches long.

The right triangle has legs 8 and 15, so use the Pythagorean Theorem.

$r^2=8^2+15^2\\r^2=64+225\\r^2=289\\r=\sqrt{289}\\r=17$