Circle Properties

Part I
A circle is a set of all points in a plane that
are the same distance from a fixed point in
a plane

The set of points form the Circumference .

The line joining the centre of a circle and a
point on the circumference is called
Radius
the……………….
A chord is a straight line segment joining
two points on the circle
A chord that passes through the centre is a
diameter
……………………….
 secant
A……………………… is a straight line that
cuts the circle in two points
An arc is part of the circumference of a circle

Major arc

Minor arc
 sector
A ……………………is part of the circle
bounded by two radii and an arc

major
sector

Minor
sector
 segment
A ……………………is part of the circle
bounded by a chord and an arc

major
segment

Minor
segment
 The arc AB subtends an angle of  at the
centre of the circle.
Subtends means “to extend under” or “ to be
opposite to”

B
A
Instructions:
• Draw a circle
• Draw two chords of equal length
• Measure angles  AOB and  DOC

A
C

D
What do you notice?
Equal chords subtend equal angles at the centre



Conversely
Equal angles at the centre of a circle stand on equal arcs



Instructions:
• select an arc AB
• subtend the arc AB to the centre O
• subtend the arc AB to a point C on the circumference
• Measure angles  AOB and  ACB C

What do you notice? A B

Instructions:
• select an arc AB
• subtend the arc AB to the centre O
• subtend the arc AB to a point C on the circumference
• Measure angles  AOB and  ACB C

What do you notice? A B

The angle that an arc of a circle subtends
at the centre is twice the angle it subtends
at the circumference

2
Instructions:
• select an arc AB
• select two points C, D on the circumference
• subtend the arc AB to a point C on the circumference
• subtend the arc AB to a point D on the circumference
• Measure angles  ACB and  ADB D
C

B
Instructions:
• select an arc AB
• select two points C, D on the circumference
• subtend the arc AB to a point C on the circumference
• subtend the arc AB to a point D on the circumference
• Measure angles  ACB and  ADB D
C

A
What do you notice?

B
Angles subtended at the circumference by the
same arc are equal





Instructions:
• Draw a circle and its diameter
• subtend the diameter to a point on the circumference
•Measure  ACB
C

A B

What do you notice?

An angle in a semicircle is
a right angle
Instructions:
•Draw a cyclic quadrilateral (the vertices of the
quadrilateral lie on the circumference
•Measure all four angles


γ

β
What do you notice?
The opposite angles of a cyclic
quadrilateral are supplementary

180-


180-


If the opposite angles of a quadrilateral are
supplementary the quadrilateral is cyclic

180-


Instructions:
• Draw a cyclic quadrilateral
• Produce a side of the quadrilateral
•Measure angles  and β


If a side of a cyclic quadrilateral is produced,
the exterior angle is equal to the interior
opposite angle