Coordinate Geometry

Circles - Past Edexcel Exam Questions

1. (Question 5 - C2 May 2018)

The circle C has equation
x2 + y 2 − 2x + 14y = 0.
Find

(a) the coordinates of the centre of C, [2]

(b) the exact value of the radius of C, [2]
(c) the y coordinates of the points where the circle C crosses the y-axis. [2]
(d) Find an equation of the tangent to C at the point (2, 0), giving your answer in
the form ax + by + c = 0, where a, b and c are integers. [4]

2. (Question 5 - C2 May 2017)

The circle C has equation

x2 + y 2 − 10x + 6y + 30 = 0.

Find

(a) the coordinates of the centre of C, [2]

(b) the radius of C, [2]
(c) the y coordinates of the points where the circle C crosses the line with equation
x = 4, giving your answers as simplified surds. [3]

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3. (Question 3 - C2 May 2016)

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4. (Question 2 - C2 May 2015)

A circle C with centre at the point (2, −1) passes through the point A at (4, −5).

(a) Find the equation of the circle C. [3]

(b) Find the equation of the tangent to the circle C at the point A, giving your answer
in the form ax + by + c = 0, where a, b and c are integers. [4]

5. (Question 9 - C2 May 2014)

T
C
4
√
6 5 Q

x
O

The figure shows a circle C with centre Q and radius 4 and the point T which lies on
C.
√
The tangent to C at the point T passes through the origin O and OT = 6 5.
Given that the coordinates of Q are (11, k), where k is a positive constant,

(a) find the exact value of k, [3]

(b) find an equation for C. [2]

6. (Question 10 - C2 May 2013)

The circle C has radius 5 and touches the y-axis at the point (0, 9), as shown in the
figure below.

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x
O

(a) Write down an equation for the circle C, that is shown in the figure. [3]

A line through the point P (8, −7) is a tangent to the circle C at the point T .
(b) Find the length of P T . [3]

7. (Question 5 - C2 Jan 2013)

The circle C has equation

x2 + y 2 − 20x − 24y + 195 = 0.

The centre of C is at the point M ,

(a) Find
i. the coordinates of the point M ,
ii. the radius of the circle C. [5]

N is the point with coordinates (25,32).

(b) Find the length of the line M N . [2]

The tangent to C at a point P on the circle passes through N .

(c) Find the length of the line N P . [2]

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8. (Question 3 - C2 May 2012)

The circle C with centre T and radius r has equation

x2 + y 2 − 20x − 16y + 139 = 0

C P
r
T

x
O

(a) Find the coordinates of the centre of C. [3]

(b) Show that r = 5. [2]

The line L has equation x = 13 and crosses C at the points P and Q as shown in the
figure above.
(c) Find the y coordinate of P and the y coordinate of Q. [3]

Given that, to 3 decimal places, the angle P T Q is 1.855 radians,

(d) find the perimeter of the sector P T Q. [3]

9. (Question 2 - C2 Jan 2012)

A circle C has centre (−1, 7) and passes through the point (0,0). Find an equation for
C. [4]

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10. (Question 4 - C2 May 2011)

The circle C has equation

x2 + y 2 + 4x − 2y − 11 = 0.

Find

(a) the coordinates of the centre of C, [2]

(b) the radius of C, [2]
(c) the coordinates of the points where C crosses the y-axis, giving your answers as
simplified surds. [4]

11. (Question 9 - C2 Jan 2011)

The points A and B have coordinates (−2, 11) and (8, 1) respectively.
Given that AB is a diameter of the circle C,

(a) show that the centre of C has coordinates (3,6), [1]

(b) find an equation for C. [4]
(c) Verify that the point (10,7) lies on C. [1]
(d) Find an equation of the tangent to C at the point (10,7), giving your answer in
the form y = mx + c, where m and c are constants. [4]

12. (Question 10 - C2 Jun 2010)

The circle C has centre A(2, 1) and passes through the point B(10, 7).

(a) Find an equation for C. [4]

The line l1 is the tangent to C at the point B.

(b) Find an equation for l1 . [4]

The line l2 is parallel to l1 and passes through the mid-point of AB.

Given that l2 intersects C at the points P and Q,

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(c) find the length of P Q, giving your answer in its simplest surd form. [3]

13. (Question 8 - C2 Jan 2010)

The figure below shows a sketch of the circle C with centre N and equation
169
(x − 2)2 + (y + 1)2 =
4

y
C

x
O
N

A 12 B

(a) Write down the coordinates of N . [2]

(b) Find the radius of C. [1]

The chord AB of C is parallel to the x-axis, lies below the x-axis and is of length 12
units as shown in the figure.
(c) Find the coordinates of A and the coordinates of B. [5]
(d) Show that angle AN B = 134.8◦ , to the nearest 0.1 of a degree. [2]

The tangents to C at the points A and B meet at the point P .

(e) Find the length AP , giving your answer to 3 significant figures. [2]

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14. (Question 6 - C2 Jun 2009)

The circle C has equation
x2 + y 2 − 6x + 4y = 12

(a) Find the centre and the radius of C. [5]

The point P (−1, 1) and the point Q(7, −5) both lie on C.
(b) Show that P Q is a diameter of C. [2]

The point R lies on the positive y-axis and the angle P RQ = 90◦ .
(c) Find the coordinates of R. [4]

15. (Question 5 - C2 Jan 2009)

The points P (−3, 2), Q(9, 10) and R(a, 4) lie on the circle C, as shown in the figure
below.

Q(9, 10)

R(a, 4)
P (−3, 2)
x
O

Given that P R is a diameter of C,

(a) show that a = 13, [3]

(b) find an equation for C. [5]

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16. (Question 5 - C2 Jun 2008)

The circle C has centre (3, 1) and passes through the point P (8, 3).

(a) Find an equation for C. [4]

(b) Find an equation for the tangent to C at P , giving your answer in the form
ax + by + c = 0, where a, b and c are integers. [5]

17. (Question 8 - C2 Jan 2008)

A circle C has centre M (6, 4) and radius 3.

(a) Write down the equation of the circle in the form [2]

(x − a)2 + (y − b)2 = r2

T
P (12, 6)
3
Q
M (6, 4)

x
O

The figure above shows the circle C. The point T lies on the circle and the tangent at
T passes through the point P (12, 6). The line M P cuts the circle at Q.
(b) Show that the angle T M Q is 1.0766 radians to 4 decimal places. [4]
The shaded region T P Q is bounded by the straight lines T P , QP and the arc T Q,
as shown the figure.
(c) Find the area of the shaded region T P Q. Give your answer to 3 d.p. [5]

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18. (Question 7 - C2 May 2007)

The points A and B lie on a circle with centre P , as shown in the figure below.

M
(3, 1)
x
O
A (1, −2) P

The point A has coordinates (1, −2) and the mid-point M of AB has coordinates (3,1).
The line l passes through the points M and P .

(a) Find an equation for l. [4]

Given that the x-coordinate of P is 6,

(b) use your answer to part (a) to show that the y-coordinate of P is −1, [1]
(c) find an equation for the circle. [4]

19. (Question 3 - C2 Jan 2007)

The line joining the points (−1, 4) and (3,6) is a diameter of the circle C.
Find an equation for C. [6]

20. (Question 7 - C2 May 2006)

The line y = 3x − 4 is a tangent to the circle C, touching C at the point P (2, 2), as
shown in the figure below.

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y
y = 3x − 4

P (2, 2)
Q

x
O

The point Q is the centre of C.

(a) Find an equation of the straight line through P and Q. [3]

Given that Q lies on the line y = 1,

(b) show that the x-coordinate of Q is 5, [1]
(c) find an equation for C. [4]

21. (Question 3 - C2 Jan 2006)

B
C

x
O A

In the figure, A(4, 0) and B(3, 5) are the end points of a diameter of the circle C.

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Find

(a) the exact length of AB, [2]

(b) the coordinates of the midpoint P of AB, [2]
(c) an equation for the circle C. [3]

22. (Question 8 - C2 Jun 2005)

The circle C, with centre at the point A, has equation x2 + y 2 − 10x + 9 = 0.
Find

(a) the coordinates of A, [2]

(b) the radius of C, [2]
(c) the coordinates of the points at which C crosses the x-axis. [2]
7
Given that the line l with gradient 2
is a tangent to C, and that l touches C at
the point T ,
(d) find an equation of the line which passes through A and T . [3]

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Solutions

1. (a) (1, −7)

√
(b) 50
(c) y = 0, −14
(d) x + 7y − 2 = 0

2. (a) (5, −3)

(b) 2
√
(c) y = −3 ± 3
√
3. (a) 34
(b) (x − 7)2 + (y − 8)2 = 34
(c) 3x + 5y − 95 = 0

4. (a) (x − 2)2 + (y + 1)2 = 20

(b) x − 2y − 14 = 0
√
5. (a) k = 5 3
√
2
(b) (x − 11)2 + y − 5 3 = 16

6. (a) (x + 5)2 + (y − 9)2 = 25

(b) 20

7. (a) i. (10,12)
ii. 7
(b) 25
(c) 24

8. (a) (10,8)
(b) -
(c) 12, 4

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(d) 19.3

9. (x + 1)2 + (y − 7)2 = 50

10. (a) (−2, 1)

(b) 4
√
(c) (0, 1 ± 2 3)

11. (a) -
(b) (x − 3)2 + (y − 6)2 = 50
(c) -
(d) y = −7x + 77

12. (a) (x − 2)2 + (y − 1)2 = 100

(b) y = − 34 x + 61
3
√
(c) 10 3

13. (a) (2, −1)

13
(b) 2

(c) A −4, − 27 , B 8, − 27

(d) -
(e) 15.6

14. (a) centre=(−3, 2), radius=5

(b) -
(c) (0,2)

15. (a) -
(b) (x − 5)2 + (y − 3)2 = 65

16. (a) (x − 3)2 + (y − 1)2 = 29

(b) 5x + 2y − 46 = 0

17. (a) (x − 6)2 + (y − 4)2 = 9

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(b) -
(c) 3.507

18. (a) y = − 23 x + 3
(b) -
(c) (x − 6)2 + (y + 1)2 = 26

19. (x − 1)2 + (y − 5)2 = 5

20. (a) y = − 13 x + 8
3

(b) -
(c) (x − 5)2 + (y − 1)2 = 10
√
21. (a) 26
(b) 27 , 52



2
2
(c) x − 72 + y − 25 = 13 2

22. (a) (5,0)

(b) 4
(c) (1,0), (9,0)
(d) y = − 27 x + 10
7

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