CIRCLES

On the exams you will calculate both the area and circumference of circles,
as well as the area and arc length of part of a circle. You will also solve
problems about lines tangent to circles.

Circlea set of points equidistant from a given point, the center.

Radiusthe distance from the center of a circle to its perimeter.

Diameterthe maximum distance from one point on the circle to another

point on the circle.
The diameter is twice the length of the radius. d = 2r

d = 2r

Circumferencethe perimeter of the circle, C = 2r = d.

Example:
What is the radius of a circle with circumference of 30?
Substitute C = 30 in the circumference formula.
C = 2 r 30 = 2 r 15 = r.

Area of a circle is A = r2.

CIRCLES

Example:
What is the area of a circle with diameter 20?
Find the radius.
d = 2r 20 = 2r 10 = r.

Substitute 10 for r in the area formula.

A = r 2 A = 102 A = 100 .

Central Anglethe angle with endpoints located on a circles circumfer-

ence and vertex located at the circles center. AOC below is a central
angle.

O B

Arca piece of the circumference.

Arc length Measure of central angle
=
Circumference 360

Example:
What is the measure of Arc ABC in circle O seen below?

A
5

O 90 B

90 1 1 5
= So the arc length is (10 ) =
360 4 4 2

Sectora piece of the area.

Area of sector Measure of central angle

=
Area of circle 360
 A

O B

Example:
The area of a sector in a circle with radius 3 is 3. What is the measure of the
central angle? 3 1
Use 3 for the sector area and (3)2 = 9 for the circle area =
9 3
1
There are 360 in a circle so ( 360 ) = 120, the measure of the central angle.
3
Tangenta

 line that touches the circle at one point. In the figure below
AB is tangent to circle O.
When a line is tangent to a circle, the line is perpendicular to the radius at
the point of tangency. Therefore, in the figure below mOAB = 90.

A B

Example:


AB is tangent to circle O at point A. OB = 13, and AB = 12. What is the radius
of the circle?

A B

Use the Pythagorean Theorem. (OA)2 + (AB)2 = (OB)2

Substitute AB = 12 and OB = 13. (OA)2 + 122 = 132.
Solve for OA. (OA)2 + 144 = 169 (OA)2 = 25 OA = 5.
CIRCLES

Therefore, the radius is 5. You could also notice the triangle is a 5-12-13 right
triangle. This observation would allow you to find the length of the radius
much more quickly.

Practice Questions

1. What is the circumference of a circle with diameter 20?

2. What is the diameter of a circle with an area 121?
3. The length of an arc in a circle with circumference 14 is 7. What is the
measure of the central angle?
4. What is the area of the shaded sector in circle O seen below?

16

O 135 B


5. AB is tangent to circle O at point A. The area of OAB is 224. What is the
value of AB?

14

A B

Practice Answers

1. 20
2. 22
3. 180
4. 96
5. 32
SOLVED PROBLEMS


1. AB is tangent to circle O at point A. The circumference of circle O
is 18. If the area of OAB is 72, then AB =

A. 8
B. 9
C. 16
O
D. 18
E. 20

A B

Answer: C
Substitute C = 18 in the circumference formula.
C = 18 = 2r
Solve for r. r = 9
So OA = 9.
1
Substitute A = 72 and h = 9 in the triangle area formula. hb
2
1
72 = 9b.
2
Solve for b. 144 = 9 b 16 = b.
2. The length of each arc of the congruent sectors in circle O is 2.
What is the area of the shaded region rounded to the nearest whole
number?

Answer: 32 101
The length of each arc is 2, so the circumference is C = 8 2 = 16
Substitute 16 for C in the circumference formula, 16 = 2r
Solve for r. 8 = r
Substitute 8 for r in the area formula. A = r2 = (8)2 = 64.
The shaded region is exactly half the entire circle, therefore, the
area of the shaded region is 32.