Rayner: Intermediate GCSE Mathematics Revision and Practice

Circle theorems

Circle theorems
There are four theorems on angles in circles that you should know. First you need to
learn some words.

A
D

The straight line AB is a chord.

The curved line AB (in bold) is an arc.
The chord AB divides the circle into two segments
the major segment (shaded) and the minor segment (unshaded).
b is the angle subtended by AB at C.
ACB
ABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral.

l
l
l
l
l

Theorem 1
The angle subtended at the centre of a
circle is twice the angle subtended at the
circumference.

Theorem 2
Angles subtended by an arc in the same
segment of a circle are equal.
Y

x
X
O
2x
A

b 2  ACB
b
AOB

b AYB
b AZB
b
AXB

The proof of this theorem is given in the section on proof.

b
b 448 nd BAC
b 628 and DCA
(b) Given BDC
b
and ABD:

b
b 508, nd BCA:
(a) Given ABO

D
B
62
50
O

44

A
A
B

Triangle OBA is isosceles (OA OB:

b (both subtended by arc BC)

b BAC
BDC
b
; BAC 62
b ABD
b (both subtended by arc DA)
DCA
b 44
; ABD

b 50
; OAB
b 80 (angle sum of a triangle)
; BOA
b 40 (angle at the centre)
; BCA

Exercise 1
Find the angles marked with letters. A line passes through the centre only when point
O is shown.

1.

2.
27

3.
20

d
45

4.
58

30

f
d

g
85

41

c
30

40

Rayner: Intermediate GCSE Mathematics Revision and Practice

5.

Circle theorems

7.

6.
32

25

96 c

8.

46
O

a
80

40
y

50

94

10.

9.

12.

11.

38
A

e
84

88

98

C
B

14.

13.

15.

16.

C
x

58

42

108

O
A

A
x
A

x 22

Theorem 3
The opposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral add up
to 1808 (the angles are supplementary).

Find a and x.
a 180 81

(opposite angles of a
cyclic quadrilateral)

; a 99

b C
b 1808
A
b
b
B D 1808

Theorem 4
The angle in a semicircle is a right angle.

2x
D

81

x 2x 180
(opposite angles of a
cyclic quadrilateral)

x
A

3x 180
; x 60

Find b given that AOB is a diameter.

A
A
37

b
C

In the diagram,
AB is a diameter.
b 908.
ACB

b 90 (angle in a semicircle)

ACB
;
b 180 90 37
53
2

Rayner: Intermediate GCSE Mathematics Revision and Practice

Circle theorems

Exercise 2
Find the angles marked with a letter.

1.

2.

3.

4.
x

101

2c

116

96

3d

86

c
105

d
92

5.

6.
C
106

7.

8.

B
A

D
m

9.

10.

72

15.

18

16.

50

3x

14. D
32

13.

12.
2a

33

y
D

11.

A
x

4e

31

140
B

c
a

4a

35

C
B

17.

18.

g
82
e
A

19.

40
B

20.

B
95

O
f
B

32
D

120
x
A

50
B

Rayner: Intermediate GCSE Mathematics Revision and Practice

Moving averages

Moving averages
Here is a list of the number of children absent from a school over a 15-day period.
Day

10

11

12

13

14

15

Number absent

10

12

11

13

10

At the end of each day the mean number absent over the last ve days is calculated.
So at the end of day 5, the mean over the last ve days is

10 7 4 12 6
7
8
5

At the end of day 6, the mean over the last ve days is

7 4 12 6 3
6
4
5

At the end of day 7, the mean over the last ve days is

4 12 6 3 5
6
5

This is an example of a moving average.

Exercise 3
1. Traders on the stock market use moving averages as a guide to the performance
of a company's share price. Here are the share prices, in pence, of a company
over 30 days.
21
28
22

24
27
21

27
28
19

22
26
19

25
25
20

26
23
19

27
25
21

23
26
23

24
23
24

24
25
23

(a) What was the mean price over the rst 10 days?
(b) What was the mean price over the 10 day period from day 2 to day 11?
(c) What was the mean price over the 10-day period from day 11 to day 20?
2. Here are the prices, in pence, of shares in `Tiger
Telecom' over a period of 20 days.
8
15

7
14

11
16

10
15

9
13

7
16

9
14

11
10

14
12

15
13

At the end of each day the mean price over the last 5 days is calculated.
8 7 11 10 9
So the mean price at the end of day 5 is
9p
5
The mean price on day 6

7 11 10 9 7
8
8p
5

Work out the moving average price of the shares in this way
up to day 20 and plot the results on a graph.

Moving average
price (p)
9
8
7

Day

Rayner: Intermediate GCSE Mathematics Revision and Practice

Answers

Answers
Exercise 1
1.
4.
7.
10.
13.
16.

a 278, b 308
f 408, g 558, h 558
438
c 468, d 448
488
a 368, x 368

2.
5.
8.
11.
14.

c 208, d 458
a 328, b 808, c 438
928
e 498, f 418
328

3.
6.
9.
12.
15.

c 588, d 418, e 308

c 348, y 348
428
g 768, h 528
228

2.
5.
8.
11.
14.
17.
20.

c 1018, d 848
378
358
308
a 328, b 408, c 408
e 418, f 418, g 418
x 808, z 108

3.
6.
9.
12.
15.
18.

x 928, y 1168
1188
188
22 12 8
a 188, c 728
88

Exercise 2
1.
4.
7.
10.
13.
16.
19.

a 948, b 758
c 608, d 458
e 368, f 728
908
n 588, t 648, w 458
558
x 308, y 1158

Exercise 3
1. (a) 24
3p
(b) 25p
(c) 25
6p
2. averages: 9, 8
8, 9
2, 9
2, 10, 11
2, 12
8, 13
8, 14
8, 15, 14
6, 14
8, 14
8, 13
6, 13, 13