Power of a point P intersects the circle at A and B, the endpoints of the diameter. Their respective products of distances are equal to each other and to the power of point P in that circle This equality is sometimes known as the ""secant-tangent theorem"", ""intersecting chords theorem"", or the ""power-of-a-point theorem"". The power of a point is used in many geometrical definitions and proofs. For example, the radical axis of two given circles is the straight line consisting of points that have equal power to both circles. For each point on this line, there is a unique circle centered on that point
Circle of a sphere satisfy The intersection of the spheres is the set of points satisfying both equations. Subtracting the equations gives In the singular case formula_7, the spheres are concentric. There are two possibilities: if formula_8, the spheres coincide, and the intersection is the entire sphere; if formula_9, the spheres are disjoint and the intersection is empty. When "a" is nonzero, the intersection lies in a vertical plane with this x-coordinate, which may intersect both of the spheres, be tangent to both spheres, or external to both spheres. The result follows from the previous proof for sphere-plane intersections. Circle of a sphere A