Lesson 6 of 8

Circles

A circle is all the points the same distance from a center. That distance is the radius. The diameter goes all the way across through the center, so the diameter is twice the radius.

FORMULA

Diameter d = 2r. Circumference (distance around) = 2 pi r, which is the same as pi d. Area = pi r^2. Use pi about 3.14.

Central angles and arcs

  • A central angle has its vertex at the center of the circle.
  • An arc is a piece of the circle's edge.
  • The whole circle is 360 degrees, so a central angle tells you what fraction of the circle the arc covers.

Example: a circle with radius 5. Circumference = 2 times 3.14 times 5 = 31.4. Area = 3.14 times 5^2 = 3.14 times 25 = 78.5. A central angle of 90 degrees marks off one quarter of the circle.