Question ID c8345903
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: c8345903
The circle above has center O, the length of arc is , and
. What is the length of arc ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: c8345903 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The ratio of the lengths of two arcs of a circle is equal to the ratio of the measures of the central angles
that subtend the arcs. It’s given that arc is subtended by a central angle with measure 100°. Since the sum of the
measures of the angles about a point is 360°, it follows that arc is subtended by a central angle with measure
. If s is the length of arc , then s must satisfy the ratio . Reducing the fraction
to its simplest form gives . Therefore, . Multiplying both sides of by yields .
Choice A is incorrect. This is the length of an arc consisting of exactly half of the circle, but arc is greater than half of
the circle. Choice C is incorrect. This is the total circumference of the circle. Choice D is incorrect. This is half the length of
arc , not its full length.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 2266984b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 2266984b
The equation above defines a circle in the xy-plane. What are the
coordinates of the center of the circle?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 2266984b Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The standard equation of a circle in the xy-plane is of the form , where are
the coordinates of the center of the circle and r is the radius. The given equation can be rewritten in standard form by
completing the squares. So the sum of the first two terms, , needs a 100 to complete the square, and the sum of
the second two terms, , needs a 64 to complete the square. Adding 100 and 64 to both sides of the given equation
yields , which is equivalent to .
Therefore, the coordinates of the center of the circle are .
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from computational errors made when attempting to complete the squares
or when identifying the coordinates of the center.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 69b0d79d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 69b0d79d
Point O is the center of the circle above, and the measure of is . If the
length of is 18, what is the length of arc ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 69b0d79d Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. Because segments OA and OB are radii of the circle centered at point O, these segments have equal
lengths. Therefore, triangle AOB is an isosceles triangle, where angles OAB and OBA are congruent base angles of the
triangle. It’s given that angle OAB measures . Therefore, angle OBA also measures . Let represent the measure
of angle AOB. Since the sum of the measures of the three angles of any triangle is , it follows that
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields , or
radians. Therefore, the measure of angle AOB, and thus the measure of arc , is radians. Since is a radius of the
given circle and its length is 18, the length of the radius of the circle is 18. Therefore, the length of arc can be calculated
as , or .
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or computational errors.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID ebbf23ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: ebbf23ae
A circle in the xy-plane has a diameter with endpoints and . An equation of this circle is
, where is a positive constant. What is the value of ?
ID: ebbf23ae Answer
Correct Answer: 5
Rationale
The correct answer is 5. The standard form of an equation of a circle in the xy-plane is 𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑦 - 𝑘2 = 𝑟2 , where ℎ, 𝑘, and 𝑟
are constants, the coordinates of the center of the circle are ℎ, 𝑘, and the length of the radius of the circle is 𝑟. It′s given that
an equation of the circle is 𝑥 - 22 + 𝑦 - 92 = 𝑟2 . Therefore, the center of this circle is 2, 9. It’s given that the endpoints of a
diameter of the circle are 2, 4 and 2, 14. The length of the radius is the distance from the center of the circle to an endpoint of
a diameter of the circle, which can be found using the distance formula, 𝑥1 - 𝑥2 2 + 𝑦1 - 𝑦2 2 . Substituting the center of the
√
2
circle 2, 9 and one endpoint of the diameter 2, 4 in this formula gives a distance of √2 - 22 + 9 - 42 , or √02 + 5 , which is
equivalent to 5. Since the distance from the center of the circle to an endpoint of a diameter is 5, the value of 𝑟 is 5.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID b0a72bdc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: b0a72bdc
What is the diameter of the circle in the xy-plane with equation ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: b0a72bdc Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The standard form of an equation of a circle in the xy-plane is 𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑦 - 𝑘2 = 𝑟2 , where the coordinates
of the center of the circle are ℎ, 𝑘 and the length of the radius of the circle is 𝑟. For the circle in the xy-plane with equation
2
𝑥 - 5 + 𝑦 - 32 = 16, it follows that 𝑟2 = 16. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields 𝑟 = 4 or 𝑟 = - 4.
Because 𝑟 represents the length of the radius of the circle and this length must be positive, 𝑟 = 4. Therefore, the radius of the
circle is 4. The diameter of a circle is twice the length of the radius of the circle. Thus, 24 yields 8. Therefore, the diameter of
the circle is 8.
Choice A is incorrect. This is the radius of the circle.
Choice C is incorrect. This is the square of the radius of the circle.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID ab176ad6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: ab176ad6
The equation defines a circle in the
xy‑plane. What is the radius of the circle?
ID: ab176ad6 Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is 11. A circle with equation , where a, b, and r are constants, has center
and radius r. Therefore, the radius of the given circle is , or 11.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 3e577e4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 3e577e4a
A circle in the xy-plane has its center at . Line is tangent to this circle at the point . What is the slope of
line ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 3e577e4a Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. A line that's tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius of the circle at the point of tangency. It's
given that the circle has its center at -4, - 6 and line 𝑘 is tangent to the circle at the point -7, - 7. The slope of a radius defined
𝑡-𝑟
by the points 𝑞, 𝑟 and 𝑠, 𝑡 can be calculated as 𝑠-𝑞
. The points -7, - 7 and -4, - 6 define the radius of the circle at the point of
-6 - -7 1
tangency. Therefore, the slope of this radius can be calculated as -4 - -7
, or 3 . If a line and a radius are perpendicular, the slope
1
of the line must be the negative reciprocal of the slope of the radius. The negative reciprocal of 3
is -3. Thus, the slope of line
𝑘 is -3.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice C is incorrect. This is the slope of the radius of the circle at the point of tangency, not the slope of line 𝑘.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 24cec8d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 24cec8d1
A circle has center , and points and lie on the circle. In triangle , the measure of is . What is the
measure of , in degrees? (Disregard the degree symbol when entering your answer.)
ID: 24cec8d1 Answer
Correct Answer: 46
Rationale
¯
The correct answer is 46. It's given that 𝑂 is the center of a circle and that points 𝑅 and 𝑆 lie on the circle. Therefore, 𝑂𝑅 and
¯
𝑂𝑆 are radii of the circle. It follows that 𝑂𝑅 = 𝑂𝑆. If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the angles opposite them are
congruent. It follows that the angles ∠𝑅𝑆𝑂 and ∠𝑂𝑅𝑆, which are across from the sides of equal length, are congruent. Let 𝑥°
represent the measure of ∠𝑅𝑆𝑂. It follows that the measure of ∠𝑂𝑅𝑆 is also 𝑥°. It's given that the measure of ∠𝑅𝑂𝑆 is 88°.
Because the sum of the measures of the interior angles of a triangle is 180°, the equation 𝑥° + 𝑥° + 88° = 180°, or
2𝑥 + 88 = 180, can be used to find the measure of ∠𝑅𝑆𝑂. Subtracting 88 from both sides of this equation yields 2𝑥 = 92.
Dividing both sides of this equation by 2 yields 𝑥 = 46. Therefore, the measure of ∠𝑅𝑆𝑂, in degrees, is 46.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 9e44284b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 9e44284b
In the xy-plane, the graph of is a
circle. What is the radius of the circle?
A. 5
B. 6.5
C.
D.
ID: 9e44284b Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. One way to find the radius of the circle is to rewrite the given equation in standard form,
, where is the center of the circle and the radius of the circle is r. To do this, divide the original
equation, , by 2 to make the leading coefficients of and each equal to 1:
. Then complete the square to put the equation in standard form. To do so, first rewrite
as . Second, add 2.25 and 0.25 to both
sides of the equation: . Since ,
, and , it follows that . Therefore, the radius of the circle is 5.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of errors in manipulating the equation or of a misconception about
the standard form of the equation of a circle in the xy-plane.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 9acd101f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 9acd101f
The equation represents circle A. Circle B is obtained by shifting circle A down units in the xy-plane.
Which of the following equations represents circle B?
A. msup
B. msup
C. msup
D. msup
ID: 9acd101f Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
2 2
Choice D is correct. The graph in the xy-plane of an equation of the form 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 is a circle with center ℎ, 𝑘 and a
2 2 2
radius of length 𝑟. It's given that circle A is represented by 𝑥2 + 𝑦 - 1 = 49, which can be rewritten as 𝑥2 + 𝑦 - 1 = 7 .
Therefore, circle A has center 0, 1 and a radius of length 7. Shifting circle A down two units is a rigid vertical translation of
circle A that does not change its size or shape. Since circle B is obtained by shifting circle A down two units, it follows that
circle B has the same radius as circle A, and for each point 𝑥, 𝑦 on circle A, the point 𝑥, 𝑦 - 2 lies on circle B. Moreover, if ℎ, 𝑘 is
the center of circle A, then ℎ, 𝑘 - 2 is the center of circle B. Therefore, circle B has a radius of 7 and the center of circle B is
2 2 2
0, 1 - 2, or 0, - 1. Thus, circle B can be represented by the equation 𝑥2 + 𝑦 + 1 = 7 , or 𝑥2 + 𝑦 + 1 = 49.
Choice A is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A right 2 units.
Choice B is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A up 2 units.
Choice C is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A left 2 units.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID ca2235f6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: ca2235f6
A circle has center , and points and lie on the circle. The measure of arc is and the length of arc is
inches. What is the circumference, in inches, of the circle?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: ca2235f6 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It’s given that the measure of arc 𝐴𝐵 is 45° and the length of arc 𝐴𝐵 is 3 inches. The arc measure of the
45° 3 inches
full circle is 360°. If 𝑥 represents the circumference, in inches, of the circle, it follows that 360°
=
𝑥 inches
. This equation is
45 3 1 3
equivalent to 360
=
𝑥
, or 8
=
𝑥
. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 8𝑥 yields 1 ( 𝑥 ) = 3 ( 8 ) , or 𝑥 = 24. Therefore, the
circumference of the circle is 24 inches.
Choice A is incorrect. This is the length of arc 𝐴𝐵.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from multiplying the length of arc 𝐴𝐵 by 2.
Choice C is incorrect and may result from squaring the length of arc 𝐴𝐵.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 9d159400
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 9d159400
Which of the following equations represents a circle in the xy-plane that intersects the y-axis at exactly one point?
A. msup
B. msup
C. msup
D. msup
ID: 9d159400 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
2 2
Choice C is correct. The graph of the equation 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 in the xy-plane is a circle with center ℎ, 𝑘 and a radius of
length 𝑟. The radius of a circle is the distance from the center of the circle to any point on the circle. If a circle in the xy-plane
intersects the y-axis at exactly one point, then the perpendicular distance from the center of the circle to this point on the y-
axis must be equal to the length of the circle's radius. It follows that the x-coordinate of the circle's center must be equivalent
2 2
to the length of the circle's radius. In other words, if the graph of 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 is a circle that intersects the y-axis at
2 2 2 2 2
exactly one point, then 𝑟 = ℎ must be true. The equation in choice C is 𝑥 - 4 + 𝑦 - 9 = 16, or 𝑥 - 4 + 𝑦 - 9 = 4 . This
2 2
equation is in the form 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 , where ℎ = 4, 𝑘 = 9, and 𝑟 = 4, and represents a circle in the xy-plane with center
4, 9 and radius of length 4. Substituting 4 for 𝑟 and 4 for ℎ in the equation 𝑟 = ℎ yields 4 = 4, or 4 = 4, which is true.
Therefore, the equation in choice C represents a circle in the xy-plane that intersects the y-axis at exactly one point.
Choice A is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle that does not intersect the y-axis at any point.
Choice B is incorrect. This is an equation of a circle that intersects the x-axis, not the y-axis, at exactly one point.
Choice D is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle with the center located on the y-axis and thus intersects the y-axis at
exactly two points, not exactly one point.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 981275d2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 981275d2
In the xy-plane, the graph of the equation above is a circle. Point P is on the circle
and has coordinates . If is a diameter of the circle, what are the
coordinates of point Q ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 981275d2 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The standard form for the equation of a circle is , where are the
coordinates of the center and r is the length of the radius. According to the given equation, the center of the circle is .
Let represent the coordinates of point Q. Since point P and point Q are the endpoints of a diameter
of the circle, the center lies on the diameter, halfway between P and Q. Therefore, the following relationships hold:
and . Solving the equations for and , respectively, yields and .
Therefore, the coordinates of point Q are .
Alternate approach: Since point P on the circle and the center of the circle have the same y-coordinate, it
follows that the radius of the circle is . In addition, the opposite end of the diameter must have the same y-
coordinate as P and be 4 units away from the center. Hence, the coordinates of point Q must be .
Choices B and D are incorrect because the points given in these choices lie on a diameter that is perpendicular to the
diameter . If either of these points were point Q, then would not be the diameter of the circle. Choice C is incorrect
because is the center of the circle and does not lie on the circle.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 89661424
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: 89661424
A circle in the xy-plane has its center at and has a radius of . An equation of this circle is
, where , , and are constants. What is the value of ?
ID: 89661424 Answer
Correct Answer: -52
Rationale
The correct answer is -52. The equation of a circle in the xy-plane with its center at ℎ, 𝑘 and a radius of 𝑟 can be written in the
2 2
form 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 . It's given that a circle in the xy-plane has its center at -5, 2 and has a radius of 9. Substituting -5 for ℎ
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
, 2 for 𝑘, and 9 for 𝑟 in the equation 𝑥 - ℎ + 𝑦 - 𝑘 = 𝑟2 yields 𝑥 - -5 + 𝑦 - 2 = 9 , or 𝑥 + 5 + 𝑦 - 2 = 81. It's also given that
2 2
an equation of this circle is 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are constants. Therefore, 𝑥 + 5 + 𝑦 - 2 = 81 can be
2 2
rewritten in the form 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐 = 0. The equation 𝑥 + 5 + 𝑦 - 2 = 81, or 𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 5 + 𝑦 - 2𝑦 - 2 = 81, can be
rewritten as 𝑥2 + 5𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 25 + 𝑦2 - 2𝑦 - 2𝑦 + 4 = 81. Combining like terms on the left-hand side of this equation yields
𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 10𝑥 - 4𝑦 + 29 = 81. Subtracting 81 from both sides of this equation yields 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 10𝑥 - 4𝑦 - 52 = 0, which is
equivalent to 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 10𝑥 + -4𝑦 + -52 = 0. This equation is in the form 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐 = 0. Therefore, the value of 𝑐
is -52.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID fb58c0db
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: fb58c0db
Points A and B lie on a circle with radius 1, and arc has length . What
fraction of the circumference of the circle is the length of arc ?
ID: fb58c0db Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is . The circumference, C, of a circle is , where r is the length of the radius of the circle. For
the given circle with a radius of 1, the circumference is , or . To find what fraction of the circumference
the length of arc is, divide the length of the arc by the circumference, which gives . This division can be
represented by . Note that 1/6, .1666, .1667, 0.166, and 0.167 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID acd30391
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Geometry and Circles
Trigonometry
ID: acd30391
A circle in the xy-plane has equation . Which of the
following points does NOT lie in the interior of the circle?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: acd30391 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The circle with equation has center and radius 5. For a point to be inside
of the circle, the distance from that point to the center must be less than the radius, 5. The distance between and
is , which is greater than 5. Therefore, does NOT lie in the
interior of the circle.
Choice A is incorrect. The distance between and is , which
is less than 5, and therefore lies in the interior of the circle. Choice B is incorrect because it is the center of the circle.
Choice C is incorrect because the distance between and is , which
is less than 5, and therefore in the interior of the circle.
Question Difficulty: Hard
