Vocabulary and Properties of Circle

1. Radius: All radii in a circle will be the same length. A radius can be a line from any point on the
circumference to the center of the circle.
2. Diameter: The diameter (d) is the length of the line through the center that touches tow points
on the edge of the circle. d = 2r (2x radius)
3. Circumference: The circumference is the distance around a circle (its perimeter!)
4. Pi (π): Pi is estimate 3.14159…
5. Chord: A chord of a circle is a straight line segment whose endpoints both lie on the circle
6. Arc: an arc is a portion of the circumference of a circle
a. Minor arc – A minor arc is less than 180 degrees and is equal to the central angle
b. Major arc – A major arc is greater than 180 degrees
c. Length of an Arc – The length of an arc is simply the length of its “portion” of the
circumference. The circumference itself can be considered a full circle arc length.
7. Sector: A sector is a wedge of a circle made from two radii.
a. Minor sector – is the smaller sector
b. Major sector – is the larger sector
c. Area of a Sector – Area of a Sector is n/360 (π) r^2
8. Central Angle: The central angle is formed with its vertex at the center of the circle. The
measure of the arc is the same as its central angle.
9. Inscribed Angle: An inscribed angle is an angle formed by two chords in a circle which have a
common endpoint. The inscribed angle = ½ measure of the arc