The sides of a triangle ABC are 4~\text{cm}, 6~\text{cm} and 8~\text{cm}. With the vertices of the triangle as centres, three circles are drawn each touching the other two externally. What is the sum of the radii of the three circles?

  1. A. 6 cm
  2. B. 7 cm
  3. C. 9 cm
  4. D. 10 cm

Correct Answer: C. 9 cm

Explanation

Let the radii of the three circles be r_1, r_2, and r_3. The distance between their centers are the sides of the triangle, so r_1+r_2=4, r_2+r_3=6, and r_3+r_1=8. Adding these gives 2(r_1+r_2+r_3) = 18 \implies r_1+r_2+r_3 = 9~\text{cm}.

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