Chapter 8

Area-2

8.1 Notes
Theorem 8.1.1. The area of a circle with radius r is πr2 , where π ≈ 3.14159265.

Proof. This is hard to make exact, but imagine cutting the circle into 2N pieces like a
pizza. Then each piece has an arc length 2πr rπ
2N = N . Now, put the pieces right next to each
other, so that you alternate pointing up and down. This will form almost a parallelogram,
with N pieces on the bottom and top, so each base has length rπ N · N = rπ. Since the
height is almost r (the radius), the circle has area rπ · r = πr2 .
n
Theorem 8.1.2. The area of a sector of a circle that is n degrees is 360 · πr2 .
n
Proof. We take 360 of the area of a triangle, because the angle once completely around the
center of the circle is 360 degrees.

Using these, we can often divide up a complicated diagram into something much easier
to solve for.

Example 8.1.3. In square ABCD with side length 12, all four of the quarter-circles are
drawn that are centered at a vertex and pass through two others. What is the intersection
of all four of these arcs?

Solution. Let the circles through A and B intersect at E. We know that AB = AE = BE,
so triangle ABE is equilateral. Similarly, if the circles through A and D intersect at F ,
triangle ADF is equilateral. Thus, ∠BAE = ∠F AD = 60◦ , so we actually have that
∠BAF = ∠F AE = ∠EAD = 30◦ .
Now, let O be the center of the circle. If we find the area of the piece cut off by OE,
OF , and arc EF , that’s one-fourth of the total area by symmetry. How do we find that?
It’s the area of sector AEF , minus triangles AOF and AOE. The sector is not that hard:
30
it is 30 degrees and the radius is AB = 12, so the area is 360 · π · 122 = 12π. How do we find

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MC35G Chapter 8. Area-2

√
OF ? We know that the distance from F to AD is 6 3 √ because of the 30-60-90 triangle
formed by cutting triangle AF D in half. Thus, OF = 6 3 − 6, since O is 6 units away
from all the sides. Therefore, the area of AOF is 12 · OF · 6 (using the height from A to
√
OF ) = 18 3 − 18, and same with the area of AOE. √ √
In total, the piece cut off by OEF has area 12π − 2(18 3 − 18) = 12π + 36 − 36 3, so
√
our answer is four times that or 48π + 144 − 144 3 .

There is also a nice formula for the area of a cyclic quadrilateral.

Theorem 8.1.4 (Brahmagupta’s Formula). In a cyclic quadrilateral with side lengths

AB = a, BC = b, CD = c, and DA = d, if s = a+b+c+d
2 , then the area of the quadrilateral
p
is (s − a)(s − b)(s − c)(s − d).

Proof. Let AC = p. The area of the the quadrilateral is the sum of triangles ABC and
CDA, or 21 ab sin B+ 12 cd sin D, and since ∠B and ∠D are the same, this is also sin2 B (ab+cd).
Now, basically find the value of cos B from the Law of Cosines on triangles ABC and CDA:
2 2 −p2 2 2 −p2
we know it is equal to a +b = c +d , and we can solve for p and then cos B. Then,
√ 2ab 2cd
2
find sin B = 1 − cos B. This is messy, so it won’t be included here.

Example 8.1.5. Quadrilateral ABCD has both an inscribed and a circumscribed circle,
and it is known that AB = 9, BC = 8, and the radius of the inscribed circle is 6. What is
the perimeter of the quadrilateral?

Solution. In a quadrilateral with an inscribed circle, the sum of opposite sides is equal; this
is because of equal tangents. (Let P, Q, R, S be the tangency points to AB, BC, CD, DA;
then AP = AS, BP = BQ, CR = CQ, DR = DS and adding them up gives the result.)
Thus, let CD = x and AD = x + 1.
We find the area of the quadrilateral in two ways. First of all, if I is the center of the
inscribed circle, the area is the sum of IAB, IBC, ICD, IDA, which is 21 · 6 · (8 + 9 + x +
x + 1) = 6xp + 54. But by Brahmagupta’s formula, since the semiperimeter is x + 9, the
area is also (x)(x + 1)(9)(8). Setting these equal,

(6x + 54)2 = 72x(x + 1)

36(x + 9)2 = 36(2x(x + 1))
x2 + 18x + 81 = 2x2 + 2x
0 = x2 − 16x − 81
√
and solving, x = 8 ± 145, so we take the positive solution. Finally, the perimeter is
√
8 + 9 + x + (x + 1) = 18 + 2x = 34 + 2 145 .

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MC35G Chapter 8. Area-2

8.2 Examples
1. (HMMT Feb-2006-Geometry-4) Let ABC be a triangle such that AB = 2, CA = 3,
and BC = 4. A semicircle with its diameter on BC is tangent to AB and AC.
Compute the area of the semicircle.

2. (Math Day at the Beach-2012-Team-4) When the furniture in a room all got pushed
into one right-angled corner of the room, a circular table with radius 2 feet wound
up touching both walls and a rectangular file cabinet fit into the space between the
table and the corner. Find the area, in square feet, of the base of largest file cabinet
that would fit. You may assume that the sides of the file cabinet meet the walls at
45◦ angles.

3. (HMMT Feb-2008-Geometry-3) Let ABC be a triangle with ∠BAC = 90◦ . A circle

is tangent to the sides AB and AC at X and Y respectively, such that the points
on the circle diametrically opposite X and Y both lie on the side BC. Given that
AB = 6, find the area of the portion of the circle that lies outside the triangle.

4. (Lehigh MC-2000-37) A 2 × 3 rectangle has vertices (0,0), (2,0), (0,3), and (2,3).
Perform the following sequence of steps:

(a) Rotate the rectangle 90◦ degrees clockwise about the point (2,0).
(b) Then rotate this new rectangle 90◦ clockwise about the point (5,0). (At this
point the side of the rectangle that originally was on the x-axis is now parallel
to the x-axis).
(c) Then rotate the current rectangle 90◦ clockwise about the point (7,0).

Find the area of the region above the x-axis and below the curve traced out by the
point whose initial position is (1,1).

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MC35G Chapter 8. Area-2

8.3 Exercises
1. (AMC10-2004-A21) Two distinct lines pass through the center of three concentric
8
circles radii 3, 2, and 1. The area of the shaded region in the diagram is 13 of the
area of the unshaded region. What is the radian measure of the acute angle formed
by the two lines? (Note: π radians is 180 degrees.)

π π π π π
(A) 8 (B) 7 (C) 6 (D) 5 (E) 4

2. (AMC10-2004-B25) A circle of radius 1 is internally tangent to two circles of radius

2 at points A and B, where AB is a diameter of the smaller circle. What is the area
of the region, shaded in the figure, that is outside the smaller circle and inside each
of the two larger circle?

√ √ √ √
(A) 35 π − 3 2 (B) 5
3π −2 3 (C) 8
3π −3 3 (D) 8
3π −3 2 (E)
8
√
3π − 2 3

3. (AMC10-2006-B19) A circle of radius 2 is centered at O. Square OABC has side

length 1. Sides AB and CB are extended past B to meet the circle at D and E,
respectively. What is the area of the shaded region in the figure, which is bounded

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MC35G Chapter 8. Area-2

by BD, BE, and the minor arc connecting D and E?

√ √ √ √
3+1
(A) π3 + 1 − 3 (B) π
2 (2 − 3) (C) π(2 − 3) (D) π
+ (E)
π
√ 6 2
3 −1+ 3

4. (UK MC-2018-Senior-25) A semicircle is inscribed in a quarter circle as shown. What

fraction of the quarter circle is shaded?

√
1 √1 2 3 √1
(A) 3 (B) 3
(C) 3 (D) 2 (E) 2

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