Calculate Circle Radius: Converting 25 cm² Area Using A = πr²

Circle Area Formula with Square Root Operations

A circle has an area of 25 cm².

What is its radius?

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find the circle's radius
00:03 We'll use the formula for calculating circle area
00:14 We'll substitute the area value according to the given data and solve for the radius
00:20 We'll isolate the radius R
00:37 Make sure to take the square root of both numerator and denominator
00:48 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

A circle has an area of 25 cm².

What is its radius?

2

Step-by-step solution

Area of the circle:

S=πr2 S=\pi r^2

We insert the known data:

25=πr2 25=\pi r^2

Divide by Pi:25π=r2 \frac{25}{\pi}=r^2

Extract the root:25π=r \sqrt{\frac{25}{\pi}}=r

5π=r \frac{5}{\sqrt{\pi}}=r

3

Final Answer

5π \frac{5}{\sqrt{\pi}} cm

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Area = πr² means radius = √(Area/π)
  • Technique: Substitute 25 = πr², then r = √(25/π) = 5/√π
  • Check: Verify π(5/√π)² = π(25/π) = 25 cm² ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Forgetting to take the square root after isolating r²
    Don't stop at r² = 25/π and call that the radius! This gives you the radius squared, not the actual radius. Always take the square root: r = √(25/π) = 5/√π to get the true radius measurement.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

The center of the circle in the diagram is O.

What is the area of the circle?

555OOO

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why can't I just divide 25 by π to get the radius?

+

Because the area formula is A=πr2 A = \pi r^2 , not A=πr A = \pi r ! The radius is squared in the formula, so you need to take the square root after dividing by π.

Should I rationalize the denominator in my final answer?

+

It depends on what your teacher prefers! 5π \frac{5}{\sqrt{\pi}} is mathematically correct, but you could also write it as 5ππ \frac{5\sqrt{\pi}}{\pi} if rationalized form is required.

How do I check if my radius is reasonable?

+

Square your radius and multiply by π - you should get back to 25! Also, since the area is 25 cm², the radius should be roughly between 2-3 cm (since π ≈ 3.14).

What if I get a decimal approximation instead?

+

That's fine too! 5π2.82 \frac{5}{\sqrt{\pi}} \approx 2.82 cm. Just remember that the exact answer 5π \frac{5}{\sqrt{\pi}} is more precise than any decimal approximation.

Why do we use the positive square root only?

+

Because radius represents a physical distance, which must be positive! Even though r2=25π r^2 = \frac{25}{\pi} has two mathematical solutions (±), we only use the positive one for geometry.

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