Circle

1.Introduction (6 min)
a) Definition with figure
2. Equation of Circle (48 min)
a) Center Radius Form
- x2 + y2 = a2 ,where the centre is (0, 0) and the radius is a.
- (x – x1)2 + (y – y1)2 = a2,where the centre is (x1, y1) and the radius is a.
b) General Equation of a Circle
c) Equation of a Circle Passing through three non-collinear points
d) Diameter form
- The equation of a circle, when the end-points (x1 , y1) and (x2 , y2) of a diameter are given is (x –
x1) (x – x2) + (y – y1) (y – y2) = 0
e) Parametric Equation of a Circle
- If the equation of a circle be x2 + y2 = a2, its parametric equation
ns are x = a cos θ, y = a sin θ.
- If the equation of a circle be (x - h)2 + (y - k)2 = a2, its parametric equations are x = h + a cos θ,
y = k + a sin θ, where θ is a parameter.
3. Circles under special conditions (25 min)
a) When the circle touches the x-axis.The equation of the circle is (x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = k2
b) When the circle touches the y-axis.The equation of the circle is (x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = h2
c) When the circle touches both the axes.The equation of the circle is (x – h)2 + (y – h)2 = h2
d) When the circle passes through origin.
The equation of the circle is x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy = 0.
e) When the circle passes through the origin and has
intercepts a and b on the x and y axes respectively..
The equation of the circle is x2 + y2 - ax - by = 0.
4. Length of Intercept (16 min)
a) Intercepts made on the axes by a circle
- Length of x-intercept
- Length of y-intercept
5. Position of Point w.r.t. a Circle (20 min)
a) For a circle : x2 + y2 = r2 and Point : (x1, y1)
b) For a circle : x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0 and Point : (x1, y1)
6. Position of Line w.r.t. a Circle (24 min)
a) Method 1
find relation between perpendicular distance from centre to the line & radius.
b) Method 2
find a relation in terms of D for the circle x2 + y2 = r2 and line y=mx+c
7. Equation of Tangent (60 min)
a) Point form
- The equation of the tangent to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 at (x1, y1)
- The equation of the tangent to the circle x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0 at (x1, y1)
b) Parametric form
- The equation of a tangent to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 at (r cos θ, r sin θ).
c) Slope form
- The equation of a tangent to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 with slope m.
d) Center not at origin?
e) Tangent from external point
f) Important Result
- coordinates of the point of contact of the line y = mx+c and circle x2 + y2 = r2
8. Equation Of Normal (40 min)
a) Introduction of normal
b) Point form
- The equation of the normal to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 at (x1, y1)
- The equation of the normal to the circle x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0 at (x1, y1)
b) Parametric form
- The equation of a normal to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 at (r cos θ, r sin θ).
c) Slope form
- The equation of a normal to the circle x2 + y2 = r2 with slope m.
9. Length of Tangent & Power of point (30 min)
a) The length of the tangent from a point (x1, y1) to the circle x2 + y2 = a2 is {x12 + y12 - a2}1/2
b) The length of the tangent from a point (x1, y1) to the circle x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0 is {x12 +
y12 + 2gx1 + 2fy1 + c}1/2
c) Power of a point with respect to a circle

➔ The power of a point P with respect to any circle is PA • PB.

➔ From the geometry, we can write PA • PB = PT2

➔ Thus, the power of a point is the square of the length of the tangent to a circle from that point.
10. Chord of Contact (25 min)
a) Definition
b) find eqn of chord of contact
11. Chord with given Midpoint (15 min)
Find result by doing derivation with figure
12. Pair of tangents (15 min)
Find result by doing derivation with figure
13. Director Circle (20 min)
a) explain about director circle
b) find eqn of director circle wrt to circle x2 + y2 = r2
c) find eqn of director circle wrt to circle x2 + y2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0
14. Some Important Results (50 min)
a) Pair of Tangents and Pair of Radii (with figure)

➔ Area of Quadrilateral PT1CT2 is RL.

Where R = radius and L = Length of tangent.
b) Length of Chord of Contact T1T2

➔ The length of the chord of contact, T1T2 = 2LR/(R2+L2)1/2

Where R = radius and L = Length of tangent.
c) Area of Triangle PT1T2

➔ Area of a triangle formed by the pair of tangents and its chord of contact = RL3/ R2+L2
d) Angle Between Tangents

➔ Tangents of the angle between the pair of tangents from the point (x1, y1) = 2RL/(L2- R2)
e) Circumcircle of triangle PT1T2

➔ Equation of the circle circumscribing the triangle

∆PT1T2 is (x – x1)(x + g) + (y – y1)(y + f) = 0
15. Relative Position of two circles (also explain about no of DCT & ICT) {40 min}
a) C1C2 > r1 + r2 (Number of Common Tangents=4)
b) C1C2 = r1 + r2 (Number of Common Tangents=3)
c) |r1 – r2| < C1C2 < r1 + r2 (Number of Common Tangents=2)
d) C1C2 = | r1 – r2|(Number of Common Tangents=1)
e) C1C2 < | r1 – r2|(Number of Common Tangents=0)
16. Length of Common Tangents (16 min)
a) Length of Direct Common Tangent
b) Length of Transverse Common Tangent
17. Point of Intersection of Transverse & Direct Common Tangents (15 min)
Q divides join of C1 and C2 internally in the ratio of corresponding radii and P divides them
externally in the same ratio.
18. Orthogonality of two circles (24 min)
a) about Orthogonal Circles
b) Condition for Orthogonality
- discuss about 2 different condition
19. Radical Axis (45 min)
a) about radical axis
b) how to find eqn of radical axis
c) Properties of Radical axis
- For intersecting circles, the common chord and the
radical axis are identical.
- If the two circles touch each other externally or
internally, the common tangents and the radical axis
are identical.
- The radical axis is perpendicular to the straight lines which joins the centres of the circles.The
radical axis is
perpendicular to the straight lines which joins the centres of the circles.
- The radical axis bisects common tangents of two circles.
- Only concurrent circles do not have a radical axis.
- If two circles cut a third circle orthogonally, the radical axis of the two circles will pass through
the centre of the third circle.
20. Radical Center (20 min)
a) about radical center
b) NOTE: Circle orthogonal to three circles
- The radical centre of the three given circles will be the centre of a fourth circle, which cuts all
the three circles orthogonally and the radius of the fourth circle is the length of the tangent drawn
from the radical centre of the three given circles to any of these circles.
21. Family of circles (40 min)
a) The equation of the family of circles passing through the points of intersection of two circles S
= 0 & S’ = 0 is: S + λ S’ = 0 (λ ≠ -1 provided the coefficient of x2 & y2 in S & S’ are same).
b) The equation of the family of circles passing through the point of intersection of a circle S = 0
& a line L = 0 is given by S + λL = 0.
c) The equation of a family of circles passing through two
given points (x1, y1) & (x2, y2)
d) The equation of a family of circles touching a fixed line
y – y1 = m(x – x1) at the fixed point (x1, y1) is (x – x1)2 + (y – y1)2 + λ [(y – y1)- m(x – x1)] = 0
22. Equation of Circumcircle (30 min)
a) Circumcircle of Triangle
Family of circles circumscribing a triangle whose sides are given by L1 = 0; L2 = 0 and L3 = 0 is
given by; L1L2 + λ L2L3 + μ L3L1 = 0
Provided coefficient of xy = 0 and coefficient of x2 = coefficient of y2.
b) Circumcircle of Quadrilateral
Equation of circle circumscribing a quadrilateral whose side in order are represented by the lines
L1 = 0; L2 = 0; L3 = 0 & L4 = 0 is L1 L3 + λL2 L4 = 0
coefficient of xy = 0 and coefficient of x2 = coefficient of y2.