STEM 1 - PRE CALCULUS

Lesson 2 – Circles

Learning Objective:
At the end of the lesson, the student is able to:
1. define circle;
2. determine the standard form of equation of a circle;
3. graph a circle in a rectangular coordinate system; and
4. solve situational problems involving conic sections(circles)

Introduction
A. A circle is the set of all points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed point of the
plane called the center of the circle.
B. A radius of a circle (plural, radii) is a line segment from the center of the circle to any
point of the circle. The term radius is used to mean both the line segment and the length
of the line segment.
All radii of the same circle are congruent.
C. An arc of a circle is the part of the circle between two points on the circle.
D. An interval joining two points on the circle is called a chord.
E. A chord that passes through the center is called a diameter. Since a diameter consists
of two radii joined at their endpoints, every diameter has length equal to twice the radius.
The word ‘diameter’ is used to refer both to these intervals and to their common length.
F. A line that cuts a circle at two distinct points is called a secant . Thus a chord is the
interval that the circle cuts off a secant, and a diameter is the interval cut off by a secant
passing through the center of a circle center. A secant is a line that intersects a circle in
two points.
G. A tangent is a line in the plane of a circle that intersects the circle in exactly one point.
The point is called a point of tangency.
H. A segment is an area which is bounded by an arc and a chord.
I. A semicircle is an area bounded by an arc and a diameter.
J. A sector is an area bounded by an arc and two radii.
 Learning Content
A circle is the set of all points on a plane equidistant from a fixed point on the given plane.
The fixed point is called the center of the circle and is denoted by C, while the fixed distance from
the center to any point on the circle is called the radius and it is denoted by r. The term radius is
both used to refer to a segment from the center C to a point P on the circle, and the length of this
segment.

To obtain the equation of a circle whose center is at C(h, k) and whose radius is r, the
distance formula can be used. In the figure below where a circle is drawn. It has center C(h,k) and
radius r > 0. A point P(x,y) is on the circle if and only if PC = r.

The definition implies that

PC = r

Using the distance formula, we have

√(x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r

Squaring both sides of the above equation gives us

( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2

which is the standard form of the equation of a circle. This form oftentimes referred to as the
center-radius form of the equation of a circle.
 If the center of the circle is at the origin, then the equation becomes

x 2+ y 2=r 2

If the radius of the circle centered at the origin is 1, it is called the unit circle and its
equation is

x 2+ y 2=1

To get a legitimate value for the radius, note that it should be greater than 0. If r 2=0 ,then r =
0, which gives the point circle. On the other hand, if r 2 <0 ,then no real value of r can be obtained;
hence no circle is formed.

Example:
In each of the item, give the standard equation of the circle satisfying the given conditions.

1. Center at the origin, radius 5

Answer: x 2+ y 2=r 2
x 2+ y 2=52
x 2+ y 2=25
 2. Center (-3, 2), radius = √ 5
Answer: ( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2
2
( x +3)2+( y−2)2=( √ 5)
( x +3)2+( y−2)2=5

3. Center (3, -4), tangent to x-axis

Answer: Since the center of the circle is 4 units away from the x axis, so the radius is 4.
( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2
( x−3)2 +( y + 4)2=(4)2
( x−3)2 +( y + 4)2=16

Activity:
In each of the item, give the standard equation of the circle satisfying the given conditions.

1. Center at the origin, radius 7

2. Center at the origin, radius 2 √ 3
3. Center (3, -2), radius = 11
4. Center (-5, -7), radius = 5 √ 2
5. Center (-11, 5), radius = √ 11
6. Center (3, -4), tangent to y-axis

Answer
1. Center at the origin, radius 7

x 2+ y 2=r 2
x 2+ y 2=72
x 2+ y 2=49

2. Center at the origin, radius 2 √ 3

x 2+ y 2=r 2
2
x 2+ y 2=(2 √ 3)
x 2+ y 2=12

3. Center (3, -2), radius = 11

( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2

( x−3)2 +( y +2)2=(11)2
( x +3)2+( y−2)2=121

4. Center (-5, -7), radius = 5 √ 2

 ( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2
2
( x +5)2+( y +7)2=(5 √ 2)
( x +5)2+( y +7)2=50

5. Center (-11, 5), radius = √ 11

( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2

2
( x +11)2+( y−5)2=( √ 11)
( x +11)2+( y−5)2=11

6. Center (3, -4), tangent to y-axis

Answer: Since the center of the circle is 3 units away from the y-axis, so the radius is 3.
( x−h)2 +( y−k )2=r 2
( x−3)2 +( y + 4)2=(3)2
( x−3)2 +( y + 4)2=9

Another way of describing a circle is by the general form of its equation. It can be obtain by
expanding the center-radius form of the equation of a circle and arranging the resulting terms.

Consider a circle described by the equation.

( x−3)2 +( y + 4)2=9

Expanding the equations gives us

x 2−6 x +9+ y 2 +8 x +16=9

Arrange the terms

x 2−6 x + y 2+ 8 y+ 16+9=9

Add the additive inverse of r to both sides of the equation results in

x 2−6 x + y 2+ 8 y+ 16+9−9=9−9

The general form of the equation of a circle, expressed as

x 2−6 x + y 2+ 8 y+ 16=0
 Example1: Transform the equation the equation x 2+ y 2+ 8 x −4 y −30=0 into the center-radius
form.

Solution:
To do this, we use the process of completing the square.
First group the terms having the same variable

x 2+ 8 x+ y 2 −4 y −30=0

Add 30 to both sides of the equation

( x ¿¿ 2+8 x)+( y¿ ¿2−4 y)−30+ 30=0+ 30¿ ¿

Complete the square for each group

¿¿

Note that the blanks inside the parentheses should be filled with appropriate values to have
perfect square trinomials.

8 2
()
2
=16

4 2
()
2
=4

Replace the blanks with these values, and then add the same values to the right side of the
equation.

( x ¿¿ 2+8 x+16)+( y ¿¿ 2−4 y +4)=30+16+ 4 ¿ ¿

Simplify the equation

( x ¿¿ 2+8 x+16)+( y ¿¿ 2−4 y +4)=50 ¿ ¿

( x +4 )2 ¿
 Example 2: Find the center-radius form and general form of the equation of the circle
passing through the point (1, 4) and whose center is at (-1, 0). Then sketch the
circle.

Solution:
We have h = -1 and k = 0. Since it is given that the circle passes through (1, 4), then the
distance between this point and the center is the radius of the circle. Using the distance formula to
find the distance between the points (-1, 0) and (1, 4), we get

r =√ ¿ ¿

r =√ ¿ ¿

r =√¿ ¿

r =√20

r =2 √5

Hence,
( x +1)2 + y 2=20

The general form of the equation of the circle may be found as follows:

x 2+ 2 x +1+ y 2−20=0

x 2+ y 2+2 x−19=0
 Example 3: Find the general form of the equation of the circle whose diameter has
endpoints at (5, -6) and (-3, -6). Then sketch the circle.

Solution:

The center is at the midpoint of a diameter of the circle. Using the midpoint formula on the
points (5, -6) and (-3, -6),

Midpoint formula = ( x +2 x ) ,( y +2 y )
1 2 1 2

5−3 −6−6
h= =1 and k = =−6
2 2

Then, find the radius by solving for the distance between the obtained midpoint (1, -6),
which is the center of the circle, and one of the given endpoints of the diameter. Choosing (-3, -6)
gives

r =√ ¿ ¿

r =√ ¿ ¿

r =√¿ ¿

r =√16

r =4

Which means that r = 4

Hence, we find the general form of the equation as follows:

( x−1)2+( y +6)2=16

x 2−2 x+1+ y 2 +12 y +36−16=0

x 2+ y 2−2 x +12 y +21=0

Example 4: The standard equation of the circle which satisfies the given condition; center in the
third quadrant; tangent to both the x-axis and y-axis, radius 7.

(x + 7)2 + (y + 7)2 = 49

1. The standard equation of the circle which satisfies the given condition; center at (−2, 3), tangent to the
line y = 8
Solution:
First determine the radius. This is best done by sketching the center and line, to see that the center
(−2, 3) is 5 units away from the nearest point on the line, (−2, 8) (which is the point of tangency).
(x + 2)2 + (y − 3)2 = 25

2. Identify the center and the radius of the circle whose equation is x 2+ y 2−10 x+6 y −2=0 .

Solution:

As in the previous example, the given equation is in general form. Hence we again use the
process of completing the square

¿
2 2
( x −10 x+ 25 ) + ( y +6 y +9 )=2+25+9
( x−5)2 +( y +3)2=36

The center-radius form shows that the center of the circle is at (5, -3) and the radius is 6.

1. The standard equation of the circle which satisfies the given condition; concentric with x2 + y2 + 2x − 4y
= 5, radius is 7.

Solution

Two circles are said to be concentric if they have the same center. The standard
equation of the given circle is (x + 1)2 + (y − 2)2 = 10. Thus, the circle we’re looking for has
center (−1, 2) and radius 7.
(x + 1)2 + (y − 2)2 = 49

2. The standard equation of the circle which satisfies the given condition; center at (−2, 3),
tangent to the line y = 8

Solution:
First determine the radius. This is best done by sketching the center and line, to see that the center
(−2, 3) is 5 units away from the nearest point on the line, (−2, 8) (which is the point of tangency).
(x + 2)2 + (y − 3)2 = 25