Circles

Contents
Objective ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Circle ....................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chord................................................................................................................................................... 2
Arc ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
Basic Properties of Circle ........................................................................................................................ 2
Exercise ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Check your progress............................................................................................................................ 3
Angles in Circles ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Tangent ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Condition of tangency ......................................................................................................................... 6
Check your progress............................................................................................................................ 7
Let us sum up .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Glossary ................................................................................................................................................... 8

Objective

• define a circle
• illustrate congruent circles and concentric circles
• identify and illustrate terms connected with circles like chord, arc, sector, segment,
tangent etc.

Circle
All points in a plane that are consistently apart from a fixed point in the same plane make up
a circle. The radius of a circle is the length of a line connecting the centre to a certain point
on the circle.

1
Chord
A line segment joining any two points of a circle is called a chord. In Fig. 15.4, AB, PQ and CD
are three chords of a circle with centre O and radius r. The chord PQ passes through the
centre O of the circle. Such a chord is called a diameter of the circle. Diameter is usually
denoted by ‘d’.

Arc
Minor Arc: An arc of circle whose length is less than that of a semicircle of the same circle is
called a minor arc. PRQ is a minor arc

Major Arc: An arc of a circle whose length is greater than that of a semicircle of the same
circle is called a major arc.

Basic Properties of Circle

• If and only if the angles they both subtend at the centre are equal, two arcs of a
circle are congruent.
• Two arcs of a circle are congruent if and only if their corresponding chords are equal.
• The perpendicular drawn from the centre of a circle to a chord bisects the chord.

2
 • Equal chords of a circle are equidistant from the centre.

Exercise
Example : In the given figure, O is the centre of the circle and ON ⊥ PQ. If PQ = 8 cm and ON
= 3 cm, find OP.

Solution: ON ⊥ PQ (given) and since perpendicular drawn from the centre of a circle to a
chord bisects the chord.

∴ PN = NQ = 4 cm

In a right triangle OPN,

∴ OP2 = PN2 + ON2 or OP2 = 42 + 32 = 25

∴ OP = 5 cm.

Example: In the figure, arc AB = arc BC, ∠ AOB = 30o and ∠ AOD = 70o . Find ∠ COD.

Solution : Since arc AB = arc BC

∴ ∠ AOB = ∠ BOC (Equals arcs subtend equal angles at the centre)

∴ ∠ BOC = 30o

Now ∠ COD = ∠ COB + ∠ BOA + ∠ AOD = 30o + 30o + 70o = 130o .

Check your progress

3
In questions 1 to 4, fill in the blanks to make each of the statements true.

1. In the figure,

(i) AB is a ... of the circle.

(ii) Minor arc corresponding to AB is... .

2. A ....is the longest chord of a circle.

3. The ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle is always ... .

4. Circles having the same centre are called.... circles.

5. Diameter of a circle is 30 cm. If the length of a chord is 20 cm, find the distance of the
chord from the centre.

Angles in Circles

1. The angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc is double the angle subtended
by it on any point on the remaining part of the circle.

2. Angle in a semicircle is a right angle.

3. A quadrilateral is said to be a cyclic quadrilateral if there is a circle passing through

4
Example: In the figure, O is the centre of the circle and ∠ AOC = 120o . Find ∠ ABC.

Solution : It is obvious that ∠ x is the central angle subtended by the arc APC and ∠ABC is
the inscribed angle.

∴ ∠ x = 2 ∠ ABC

But ∠ x = 360o – 1200 = 240o

∴ 2∠ ABC = 240o ∴ ∠ ABC = 120o

Example: In the figure, O is the centre of the circle and ∠ PAQ = 35o. Find∠ OPQ.

Solution : ∠ POQ =2∠ PAQ = 70o ...(i)

(Angle at the centre is double the angle on the remaining part of the circle)

Since OP = OQ (Radii of the same circle)

∴ ∠ OPQ = ∠ OQP ...(ii)

(Angles opposite to equal sides are equal)

But∠ OPQ + ∠ OQP + ∠ POQ = 180o

∴ 2∠ OPQ = 180o –70o = 110o ∴ ∠ OPQ = 55o

Example: In the figure, PQRS is a cyclic quadrilateral whose diagonals intersect at A. If ∠ SQR
= 80o and ∠ QPR = 30o , find ∠ SRQ.

Solution : Given ∠ SQR = 80o

Since ∠ SQR = ∠ SPR [Angles in the same segment]

∴ ∠ SPR = 80o

∴ ∠ SPQ = ∠ SPR + ∠ RPQ = 80o + 30o .

or ∠ SPQ = 110o .

But ∠ SPQ + ∠ SRQ = 180o .

(Sum of the opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral is 180o )

∴ ∠ SRQ = 180o – ∠ SPQ = 180o – 110o = 70o

5
Tangent

Tangent to a circle is the line that touches the circle at only one point. There can be only one
tangent at a point to circle. Point of tangency is the point at which tangent meets the circle.
The tangent is perpendicular to the radius of the circle, with which it intersects.

Condition of tangency

Only when the tangent hits the curve at a single place is it considered to be a tangent;
otherwise, it is just considered to be a line. As a result, we can specify the requirements for
tangent as follows based on the point of tangency and its location in relation to the circle:

• when point is included within the circle: It can be concluded that no tangent can be
drawn to a circle which passes through a point lying inside the circle.

• Whenever a point is within a circle: From the figure; it can be concluded that there
is only one tangent to a circle through a point which lies on the circle.

• when a point is not within a circle: There are exactly two tangents to circle from a

6
point which lies outside the circle.

7
Check your progress

1. In the figure, PQR is an arc of a circle with centre O. If ∠ PTR = 350, find ∠PSR.

2. In the figure, O is the centre of a circle and ∠ AOB = 600 . Find ∠ ADB.

3. In the figure, PQRS is a cyclic quadrilateral, and the side PS is extended to the point
A. If ∠PQR = 800 , find ∠ASR.

Let us sum up
• Two arcs of a circle are congruent if and only if either the angles subtended by them
at the centre are equal or their corresponding chords are equal.

8
 • Equal chords of a circle subtend equal angles at the centre and vice versa.
• Perpendicular drawn from the centre of a circle to a chord bisects the chord.
• The line joining the centre of a circle to the mid point of a chord is perpendicular to
the chord.
• There is one and only one circle passng through three non-collinear points.
• Equal chords of a circle are equidistant from the centre and the converse.
• The angle subtended by an arc (or chord) at the centre of a circle is called central
angle and an ngle subtended by it at any point on the remaining part of the circle is
called inscribed angle.
• The angle subtended by an arc at the centre of a circle is double the angle subtended
by it at any point on the remaining part of the circle.
• Angle in a semicircle is a right angle.
• Angles in the same segment of a circle are equal.
• Sum of the opposite angles of cyclic quadrilateral is 1800 .
• If a pair of opposite angles of a quadrilateral is supplementary, then the quadrilateral
is cyclic.
• The tangent is perpendicular to the radius of the circle, with which it intersects.

Glossary
• Radius is defined as a line segment joining the center of the circle.
• The diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the
center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circumference of the circle
• An arc of a circle is any portion of the circumference of a circle.
• Chords of a circle, equidistant from the center of the circle are equal.
• Tangent to a Circle A tangent to a circle is a straight line that touches the circle at
one point, called the point of tangency.