Circles

Ms. Les Geometry

Unit, Lesson 1

Warm Up
Get into group of 2 and answer the following:
1. What does a circle means?
2. How does a circle related to math?
3. How are circles utilized in real life? (provide 3
examples)

Warm Up
How are circles utilized in real life? Examples

1.
Clock

Pizza
Bike
Earth

Softball

Objectives
Students will be able to recognize and define a
circle and it's parts: radius, diameter, chords,
central angle, major and minor arcs and adjacent
arcs.
Student will be able to find the center of a circle
and compute the radius.
Students will be able to recognize the
relationships that the different arcs have to the
circle and to one another.

Definitions
A circle is the set of all points in a plane
that are the same distance from a fixed
point called the center of the circle.

radius

A radius of a circle is a line segment

extending from the center to the circle.
A diameter is a line segment that joins
two points on the circle and passes
through the center.

center
diameter
5

Naming a Circle
A circle in a diagram is named by
its center. The circle at right is
called circle O or:
If there is more than one circle in a
diagram with the same center, this
notation does not suffice.
Note: two circles in the same
plane with the same center are
called concentric circles.

The outside of the circle is called

circumference

The circumference is the distance around

the circle.

Radius &
Diameter
The word radius (plural: radii) is also used to denote the
length of a radius (all radii have the same length).
The word diameter is also used to denote the length of a
diameter (all diameters have the same length).
Note that the diameter of a circle is twice its radius.
8

FORMULAS
Diameter = 2 X Radius
Radius = Diameter/2
Circumference = 3.14 X Diameter
Diameter = Circumference divided by 3.14
Area = Radius X Radius X 3.14

Discussion:
Radius/Diameter
Mom bought a coffee can
with a radius of 3 in. Will it fit
on a shelf that is 6 in. wide so
that the cupboard door will
still close? Please explain
your answer using what we
have learn so far.

Discussions
Given information:
Radius = 3 in
Shelf = 6 in
Solve
Diameter = 2 x Radius
Diameter = 2 x 3
Diameter = 6 inches
Yes, the coffee can will fit the self because it has a
diameter of 6 in.

Chords
A chord is any line segment that joins two points on circle.
Therefore, a diameter is an example of a chord. It is the
longest possible chord.

Question:
How many chords can a
Circle contain?
Explain your answer.
12

Parts of a
Circle
radius

chord

diameter
R

Segments
of
Circles

K
T

Question: From the figures, you can tell that the diameter is a special
type of _____ that passes through the center.

ANSWER:

CHORD

Chords and
Radii
Given a chord in a circle, any radius
that bisects the chord (passes
through its midpoint) is
perpendicular to that chord.
Also, if a radius is perpendicular to a
chord, then it bisects the chord.

15

Distance to
Chords
The distance from the center of a
circle to a chord is measured along the
radius that is perpendicular to the
chord.
Chords that are the same distance
from the center are the same length.
Also, chords that are the same length
are the same distance from the center.
16

Example
In a circle of radius 5, a chord has
length 8. Find the distance to the
chord (MC) from the center of the
circle.
M
Answer:
4
Let C be the center of the circle and A
5
and B the endpoints of the chord. Let
M be the midpoint of the chord so
that
Then
So, by the Pythagorean Theorem,

17

Video

Click this link to view the video:

Ticket-Out-TheDoor
Answer the following independently:
1. Identify/Name 3 parts of a circle. Draw and Label each
part for full credit.

2. What is the formula of diameter?

3. According to the video, what type of tools did they use
to draw a circular shape?