Parts of a Circle
Diameter
The diameter of a circle
is a line segment that
passes through the
center of the circle and
has its endpoints on the
circle. All the diameters
of the same circle have
the same length.
Chord A chord is a line segment
with both endpoints on
the circle. The diameter is
a special chord that
passes through the
center of the circle. The
diameter would be the
longest chord.
Radius
The radius of the circle is
a line segment from the
center of the circle to a
point on the circle. The
plural of radius is radii.
Tangent
A tangent is a line that
touches a circle at
only one point. A
tangent
is perpendicular to the
radius at the point of
contact. The point of
tangency is where a
tangent line touches
the circle.
Circumference
The circumference of a
circle is the boundary
line or the perimeter of
the circle.
Arc
An arc is a part of the
circumference between
two points or a continuous
piece of a circle. The shorter
arc between PP and QQ is
called the minor arc PQPQ.
The longer arc
between PP and QQ is
called the major arc PQPQ.