Page 1 of 7

11.3 Arcs and Central Angles

Goal Any two points A and B on a circle C determine a minor arc and a
Use properties of arcs of major arc (unless the points lie on a diameter).
circles.
If the measure of aACB is less than 1808, then
Key Words A, B, and all the points on (C that lie in the minor arc
interior of aACB form a minor arc . A
r
AB
• minor arc
B
• major arc Points A, B, and all the points on (C
• semicircle s form a major arc .
that do not lie on AB
C
• congruent circles
You name an arc by its endpoints.
• congruent arcs D major arc
Use one other point on a major arc
• arc length t
ADB
as part of its name to distinguish it
from the minor arc.

The measures of a minor arc and a major arc depend on the

central angle of the minor arc.
A r 5 608
mAB
Student Help The measure of a minor arc is the
B
measure of its central angle.
LOOK BACK 608
For the definition of
a central angle, see The measure of a major arc is the C
p. 454. difference of 3608 and the measure
of the related minor arc. D t 5 3608 2 608
mADB
5 3008

A semicircle is an arc whose central angle measures 1808.

A semicircle is named by three points. Its measure is 1808.

EXAMPLE 1 Name and Find Measures of Arcs

Name the red arc and identify the type of arc. Then find its measure.
a. G b. L

E K 1108

408 M
N
D F

Solution
s is a minor arc. Its measure is 408.
a. DF
t is a major arc. Its measure is 3608 2 1108 5 2508.
b. LMN

11.3 Arcs and Central Angles 601

 Page 2 of 7

Visualize It! POSTULATE 16

A
Arc Addition Postulate
Words The measure of an arc formed by A
C two adjacent arcs is the sum of the C
B measures of the two arcs.

Symbols t 5 mAC
mACB s 1 mCB
s B
Arcs of a circle are
adjacent if they intersect
only at their endpoints.
r and BC
AB r are adjacent. EXAMPLE 2 Find Measures of Arcs
t.
Find the measure of GEF G
H
Solution 408
t 5 mGH
mGEF t 1 mHE
t 1 mEF
s R 808
5 408 1 808 1 1108 1108
F E
5 2308

Two circles are congruent circles if they have the same radius.
Two arcs of the same circle or of congruent circles are congruent arcs
if they have the same measure.

EXAMPLE 3 Identify Congruent Arcs

Find the measures of the blue arcs. Are the arcs congruent?
a. A b. Z
X
B 458 D 658
458
C Y W

Solution
s and DC
a. Notice that AB s are in the same circle. Because
s 5 mDC
mAB s 5 458, AB
s c DC
s.
s and ZW
b. Notice that XY s are not in the same circle or in congruent
s 5 mZW
circles. Therefore, although mXY s 5 658, XY
s ç ZW
s.

Identify Congruent Arcs D

C

Find the measures of the arcs. Are the arcs congruent? 728
588 A
B
s and EF
1. BC s s and CD
2. BC s 1008 588 E
s and DE
3. CD s t and CBF
4. BFE t F

602 Chapter 11 Circles

 Page 3 of 7

Student Help Arc Length An arc length is a portion of the circumference of

a circle. You can write a proportion to find arc length.
SKILLS REVIEW
To review finding A
circumference of a arc length central angle
circle, see p. 674. r
r
arc length of AB mArB
C }} 5 }}
2πr 3608
B
full circumference full circle

ARC LENGTH
Words In a circle, the ratio of the length of a given
arc to the circumference is equal to the ratio A
of the measure of the arc to 3608. P
r
r
mAB B
Symbols s 5 }} p 2πr
Arc length of AB
3608

EXAMPLE 4 Find Arc Lengths

Find the length of the red arc.
a. b. c. E
5 cm A 7 cm
508 7 cm
B C 988
508
D F

Student Help Solution

508
STUDY TIP s 5 }} p 2π(5) ≈ 4.36 centimeters
a. Arc length of AB
You can substitute 3.14 3608
as an approximation of 50 8
π or use a calculator. s 5 }} p 2π(7) ≈ 6.11 centimeters
b. Arc length of CD
3608
988
s 5 }} p 2π(7) ≈ 11.97 centimeters
c. Arc length of EF
3608

Find Arc Lengths

Find the length of the red arc. Round your answer to the nearest
hundredth.
5. B 6. 7. N
2 in.
1808
C 1208 D E 908
4 ft M
6 cm
A F

11.3 Arcs and Central Angles 603

 Page 4 of 7

11.3 Exercises
Guided Practice
Vocabulary Check 1. In the diagram at the right, identify a major arc,
B
a minor arc, and a semicircle. A
C
D
2. Draw a circle with a pair of congruent arcs.

3. What is the difference between arc measure and

arc length?

Skill Check Find the measure in (T.

P
r
4. mRS t
5. mRPS 408
T R
t
6. mPQR r
7. mQS 608
P
t
8. mQSP 9. maQTR S
1208

Find the blue arc length. Round your answer to the nearest
hundredth.
s
10. Length of AB s
11. Length of DE t
12. Length of FGH

D
A G
2 yd 6 cm
D
408
B C 1008 5m C
C 1408
F H
F
E

Practice and Applications

Extra Practice Naming Arcs Name the blue minor arc and find its measure.
See p. 695. 13. 14. E 15.
P
1358 C
P 1308
C
C L 1508 N
D

Naming Arcs Name the blue major arc and find its measure.
Homework Help 16. B 17. W 18.

Example 1: Exs. 13–39 G

Example 2: Exs. 30–42 758 X C 1608 F C H
A C
Example 3: Exs. 43–46 308
Example 4: Exs. 47–54 D
Y
604 Chapter 11 Circles
 Page 5 of 7

Types of Arcs Determine whether the arc is a minor arc, a major arc,
&* and QU
or a semicircle of (R. PT &** are diameters.
r
19. PQ s
20. SU P
P
t
21. PQT s
22. QT
R S
t
23. TUQ t
24. TUP
T
t
25. QUT t
26. PUQ U

Finding the Central Angle Find the measure of aACB.

27. A 28. 29. 1808

C A C A B
1658 C
908
B B

Student Help &* and JL

Measuring Arcs and Central Angles KN &* are diameters. Find
the measure.
VISUAL STRATEGY
In Exs. 30–39, copy the r
30. mKL t
31. mMN J
diagram and add
information to it as you t
32. mLNK t
33. mMKN
solve the exercises, as N P
shown on p. 588. t
34. mNJK 35. maMQL 558 608 K
r
36. mML 37. maJQN
M
r
38. mJM s
39. mLN L

Time Zone Wheel In Exercises 40–42, use the following information.

To find the time in Tokyo when it is 4 P.M. in San Francisco, rotate the small
wheel until 4 P.M. and San Francisco line up as shown. Then look at Tokyo
to see that it is 9 A.M. there.
Noon
11 12 1
When it is 2
Wellington

10
Noum

Anady

Ho
Syd o

9 A.M. in Tokyo . . .
n
9

3A
o
ney
éa

r
To

lulu e

. . . it is 4 P.M.
ch
ky

San
Ma
or
8

4
ag

nila Fra
n
Denve cisco in San Francisco
Bangk
7

r
ok
A.M.

New Orleans
P.M.

Tashkent
6

6
nha

hi
n
Karac
Bosto
oro

lles
5

s
eN

che aca
Sey
Car
ab
d
lsin w

do

dth
co
4

8
Greenwich
os

nan
ki

Go
M

s
Azore
3

Rome

Fer

9
He

2 10
1 12 11

Midnight

40. What is the arc measure for each time zone on the wheel?

41. What is the measure of the minor arc from the Tokyo zone to the
Anchorage zone?

42. If two cities differ by 1808 on the wheel, then it is 3:00 P.M. in one
city when it is __?__ in the other city.
11.3 Arcs and Central Angles 605
 Page 6 of 7

IStudent Help Naming Congruent Arcs Are the blue arcs congruent? Explain.
ICLASSZONE.COM
43. J P 44.
HOMEWORK HELP A D
Extra help with problem
L K R P
solving in Exs. 47–52 is 6 5
C
at classzone.com B E

45. 46. K
Z
4
T W 608 Y J G
608 F
4 X
U H

r. Round your answer to the

Finding Arc Length Find the length of AB
nearest hundredth.
47. 48. 49.
A B
A A 1208
P
458 P 608 10 ft
P
3 cm 7 in.
B B

50. 51. 52.

308 A 12 m P
A A 1508 B
P 758
4 cm B P 6 in.
B

53. You be the Judge A friend tells you two arcs from different
circles have the same arc length if their central angles are equal.
Is your friend correct? Explain your reasoning.

54. Challenge Engineers reduced the lean of the Leaning Tower of

Pisa. If they moved it back 0.468, what was the arc length of the
move? Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

5588 cm

606 Chapter 11 Circles

 Page 7 of 7

Standardized Test s in (P shown below?

55. Multiple Choice What is the length of AC
Practice X
A 5.6 ft B 16.8 ft
X C
8 ft
X
C 19.5 ft D 25.1 ft
X A 408 D
P
B

Mixed Review Finding Leg Lengths Find the lengths of the legs of the triangle.
Round your answers to the nearest tenth. (Lesson 10.5)
56. 57. 58. x
9 488
4 x
x
348 y
14
568 y
y

Algebra Skills Simplifying Ratios Simplify the ratio. (Skills Review, p. 660)

2 km 5 ft 3 yards 4 ounces
59. }} 60. }} 61. } } 62. }}
400 km 72 in. 27 ft 8 po und s

Quiz 1
Tell whether the given line, segment, or point is best described as a
chord, a secant, a tangent, a diameter, a radius, or a point of
tangency. (Lesson 11.1)
J
^&*(
1. AB 2. ^&
JH*( G

&**
3. GE &*
4. JH C H

&*
5. CE 6. D B
E
D A

&* and PR
PQ &* are tangent to (C. Find the value of x. (Lesson 11.2)
7. 8. 9. P
P P 3x 2 8 P
x x21
C P C x
P C
15
R 2x 2 7 R
R

s. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

Find the length of AB
(Lesson 11.3)
10. A 11. 12.

A 1508 B
708 C
7 m
C 3 cm B C
10 ft 258

B A

11.3 Arcs and Central Angles 607