Arcs in a Circle - Examples, Exercises and Solutions

The part that is between 2 2 points on the circle.
The arc is part of the circumference of the circle and does not pass inside the circle.

Image A1 - Arc

Practice Arcs in a Circle

examples with solutions for arcs in a circle

Exercise #1

Given the circle with the equation:

x28ax+y2+10ay=5a2 x^2-8ax+y^2+10ay=-5a^2


and its center at point O in the second quadrant,

a0 a\neq0

Use the completing the square method to find the center of the circle and its radius using

a a

Step-by-Step Solution

 Let's recall that the equation of a circle with its center at O(xo,yo) O(x_o,y_o) and its radius R R is:

(xxo)2+(yyo)2=R2 (x-x_o)^2+(y-y_o)^2=R^2 Now, let's now take a look at the equation for the given circle:

x28ax+y2+10ay=5a2 x^2-8ax+y^2+10ay=-5a^2 We will try rearrange this equation to match the circle equation, that is - we will ensure that on the left side there will be the sum of two squared binomial expressions, one for x and one for y.

We will do this using the "completing the square" method:

Let's recall the shortcut formula for squaring a binomial:

(c±d)2=c2±2cd+d2 (c\pm d)^2=c^2\pm2cd+d^2 We'll deal separately with the part of the equation related to x in the equation (underlined):

x28ax+y2+10ay=5a2 \underline{ x^2-8ax}+y^2+10ay=-5a^2

We'll isolate these two terms from the equation and deal with them separately.

We'll present these terms in a form similar to the form of the first two terms in the shortcut formula (we'll choose the subtraction form of the binomial squared formula since the term in the first power we are dealing with 8ax 8ax has a negative sign):

x28axc22cd+d2x22x4ac22cd+d2 \underline{ x^2-8ax} \textcolor{blue}{\leftrightarrow} \underline{ c^2-2cd+d^2 }\\ \downarrow\\ \underline{\textcolor{red}{x}^2\stackrel{\downarrow}{-2 }\cdot \textcolor{red}{x}\cdot \textcolor{green}{4a}} \textcolor{blue}{\leftrightarrow} \underline{ \textcolor{red}{c}^2\stackrel{\downarrow}{-2 }\textcolor{red}{c}\textcolor{green}{d}\hspace{2pt}\boxed{+\textcolor{green}{d}^2}} \\ Notice that compared to the shortcut formula (which is on the right side of the blue arrow in the previous calculation) we are actually making the comparison:

{xc4ad \begin{cases} x\textcolor{blue}{\leftrightarrow}c\\ 4a\textcolor{blue}{\leftrightarrow}d \end{cases} Therefore, if we want to get a squared binomial form from these two terms (underlined in the calculation), we will need to add the term(4</span><spanclass="katex">a)2 (4</span><span class="katex">a)^2 , but we don't want to change the value of the expression, and therefore - we will also subtract this term from the expression.

That is, we will add and subtract the term (or expression) we need to "complete" to the binomial squared form,

In the following calculation, the "trick" is highlighted (two lines under the term we added and subtracted from the expression),

Next - we'll put the expression in the squared binomial form the appropriate expression (highlighted with colors) and in the last stage we'll simplify the expression:

x22x4ax22x4a+(4a)2(4a)2x22x4a+(4a)216a2(x4a)216a2 x^2-2\cdot x\cdot 4a\\ x^2-2\cdot x\cdot4a\underline{\underline{+(4a)^2-(4a)^2}}\\ \textcolor{red}{x}^2-2\cdot \textcolor{red}{x}\cdot \textcolor{green}{4a}+(\textcolor{green}{4a})^2-16a^2\\ \downarrow\\ \boxed{ (\textcolor{red}{x}-\textcolor{green}{4a})^2-16a^2}\\ Let's summarize the steps we've taken so far for the expression with x.

We'll do this within the given equation:

x28ax+y2+10ay=5a2x22x4a+(4a)2(4a)2+y2+10ay=5a2(x4a)216a2+y2+10ay=5a2 x^2-8ax+y^2+10ay=-5a^2 \\ \textcolor{red}{x}^2-2\cdot \textcolor{red}{x}\cdot\textcolor{green}{4a}\underline{\underline{+\textcolor{green}{(4a)}^2-(4a)^2}}+y^2+10ay=-5a^2\\ \downarrow\\ (\textcolor{red}{x}-\textcolor{green}{4a})^2-16a^2+y^2+10ay=-5a^2\\ We'll continue and do the same thing for the expressions with y in the resulting equation:

(Now we'll choose the addition form of the squared binomial formula since the term in the first power we are dealing with 10ay 10ay has a positive sign)

(x4a)216a2+y2+10ay=5a2(x4a)216a2+y2+2y5a=5a2(x4a)216a2+y2+2y5a+(5a)2(5a)2=5a2(x4a)216a2+y2+2y5a+(5a)225a2=5a2(x4a)216a2+(y+5a)225a2=5a2(x4a)2+(y+5a)2=36a2 (x-4a)^2-16a^2+\underline{y^2+10ay}=-5a^2\\ \downarrow\\ (x-4a)^2-16a^2+\underline{y^2+2\cdot y \cdot 5a}=-5a^2\\ (x-4a)^2-16a^2+\underline{y^2+2\cdot y \cdot 5a\underline{\underline{+(5a)^2-(5a)^2}}}=-5a^2\\ \downarrow\\ (x-4a)^2-16a^2+\underline{\textcolor{red}{y}^2+2\cdot\textcolor{red}{ y}\cdot \textcolor{green}{5a}+\textcolor{green}{(5a)}^2-25a^2}=-5a^2\\ \downarrow\\ (x-4a)^2-16a^2+(\textcolor{red}{y}+\textcolor{green}{5a})^2-25a^2=-5a^2\\ \boxed{(x-4a)^2+(y+5a)^2=36a^2} In the last step, we move the free numbers to the second side and combine like terms.

Now that the given circle equation isin the form of the general circle equation mentioned earlier, we can easily extract both the center of the given circle and its radius:

(xxo)2+(yyo)2=R2(x4a)2+(y+5a)2=36a2(x4a)2+(y(5a))2=36a2 (x-\textcolor{purple}{x_o})^2+(y-\textcolor{orange}{y_o})^2=\underline{\underline{R^2}} \\ \updownarrow \\ (x-\textcolor{purple}{4a})^2+(y+\textcolor{orange}{5a})^2=\underline{\underline{36a^2}}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-\textcolor{purple}{4a})^2+(y\stackrel{\downarrow}{- }(-\textcolor{orange}{5a}))^2=\underline{\underline{36a^2}}\\ In the last step, we made sure to get the exact form of the general circle equation - that is, where only subtraction is performed within the squared expressions (emphasized with an arrow)

Therefore, we can conclude that the center of the circle is at:O(xo,yo)O(4a,5a) \boxed{O(x_o,y_o)\leftrightarrow O(4a,-5a)} and extract the radius of the circle by solving a simple equation:

R2=36a2/R=±6a R^2=36a^2\hspace{6pt}\text{/}\sqrt{\hspace{4pt}}\\ \rightarrow \boxed{R=\pm6a}

Remember that the radius of the circle, by its definition is the distance between any point on the diameter and the center of the circle. Since it is positive, we must disqualify one of the options we got for the radius.

To do this, we will use the remaining information we haven't used yet - which is that the center of the given circle O is in the second quadrant,

That is:

O(x_o,y_o)\leftrightarrow x_o<0,\hspace{4pt}y_o>0 (Or in words: the x-value of the circle's center is negative and the y-value of the circle's center is positive)

That is, it must be true that:

\begin{cases} x_o<0\rightarrow (x_o=4a)\rightarrow 4a<0\rightarrow\boxed{a<0}\\ y_o>0\rightarrow (y_o=-5a)\rightarrow -5a>0\rightarrow\boxed{a<0} \end{cases} We concluded that a<0 and since the radius of the circle is positive we conclude that necessarily:

R=6a \rightarrow \boxed{R=-6a} Let's summarize:

O(4a,5a),R=6a \boxed{O(4a,-5a), \hspace{4pt}R=-6a} Therefore, the correct answer is answer d. 

Answer

O(4a,5a),R=6a O(4a,-5a),\hspace{4pt}R=-6a

Exercise #2

In which of the circles is the segment drawn the radius?

Video Solution

Answer

Exercise #3

In which of the circles is the point marked in the circle and not on the circumference?

Video Solution

Answer

Exercise #4

How many times longer is the radius of the red circle than the radius of the blue circle?

220

Video Solution

Answer

5

Exercise #5

How many times longer is the radius of the red circle, which has a diameter of 24, than the radius of the blue circle, which has a diameter of 12?

Video Solution

Answer

2

examples with solutions for arcs in a circle

Exercise #1

How many times longer is the radius of the red circle than the radius of the blue circle?

168

Video Solution

Answer

2 2

Exercise #2

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is 6.

50

Video Solution

Answer

56 \frac{5}{6}

Exercise #3

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is 36.

20

Video Solution

Answer

2

Exercise #4

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is 12.

60°60°60°

Video Solution

Answer

2

Exercise #5

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is 12.

240

Video Solution

Answer

8

examples with solutions for arcs in a circle

Exercise #1

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is equal to 24.

150°150°150°

Video Solution

Answer

10 10

Exercise #2

Calculate the area of the section painted red given that the area of the circle is 12.

240

Video Solution

Answer

8

Exercise #3

How many times longer is the radius of the red circle than the radius of the blue circle?

210

Video Solution

Answer

212 2\frac{1}{2}

Exercise #4

How many times longer is the radius of the red circle (14 cm) than the radius of the blue circle, which has a diameter of 7?

Video Solution

Answer

4

Exercise #5

Calculate the length of the arc marked in red given that the circumference is 18.

260°260°260°

Video Solution

Answer

13

Topics learned in later sections

  1. Circle
  2. Distance from a chord to the center of a circle
  3. Chords of a Circle
  4. Central Angle in a Circle
  5. Perpendicular to a chord from the center of a circle
  6. Inscribed angle in a circle
  7. Tangent to a circle
  8. Elements of the circumference
  9. Area of a circle
  10. The Circumference of a Circle
  11. How is the radius calculated using its circumference?