Math help with circles?

Question

in the figure above l is parallel to m and each circle is tangent to the other two circles at the labeled points. if each circle has diameter 8 and is tangent to one of the two lines, what is the distance, h between l and m?

http://local.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/fractals/apollony/1.gif
yu have to add line L to the bottom circle as a tangent to the circle and M to the top two circles as tangent to both, with line h just on the side to show height but not a tangent (the picture just needs to have these three lines and it looks like the problem in my book)

the circles are tangent to each other at one point

Answer 1

Connect the circle centers.
That forms an equiangular triangle.
Each vertex is 60º.
Divide the triangle up the middle.
Two right triangles are formed.
Each is a 30º, 60º,90º triangle.
Two of the sides are obviously 4 and 8.
Solve for the other side, using the Pythagorean formula.
√(8² - 4²).
The distance from the top centers to M is 4.
The side of the right triangle is found to be √48 = √16√3.
The distance from the bottom center to L is 4.

4 + 4√3 + 4 =
8 + 4√3 =
8 + 4(approximately 1.73) =
approximately 14.92.

Answer 2

distance between lines l and m is h
= radius + height of equilateral triangle of side twice radius + radius, { the triangle formed by joining the centres is equilateral}
= radius [ 1 + sqrt(3) + 1]
= 8cm/2 [ 3.732]
= 14.928 cm

Answer 3

cannot visualise your lines