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

A circle has a circumference of 31.41.

What is its radius?

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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