THEOREMS ON CIRCLES

tangent
secant
chord
diameter
radius

arc

1. Through three points not in a straight line, one circle, and only one, can be drawn.

2. A tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius at the point of tangency, and

conversely.

r tangent

3. The tangents to a circle drawn from an external point are equal, and make equal angles
with the line joining the point to the center.

r L
θ
θ
r L

4. An inscribed angle is measured by one-half the angle of the intercepted arc.

central angle
inscribed angle
Intercepted arc
θ α

θ = ½α or α = 2θ
5. An angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle.

90°
90°
90°

Thus, if a right triangle is inscribed in a circle, its hypotenuse is the diameter of the circle.
6. An angle formed by two chords intersecting within the circle is measured by half the sum
of the intercepted arcs.
7. If two chords intersect in a circle, the product of the segments of one is equal to the
product of the segments of the other.

D
θ = ½ (ArcAC + ArcBD)
A (AE)(BE) = (CE)(DE)
θ E B ADC = ABC
BAD = BCD
C

8. An angle included by a tangent and a chord drawn from the point of contact is measured by
half the intercepted arc.

chord
arc
θ

α = ½θ

9. An angle formed by two secants, two tangents, of a tangent and a secant, drawn to a circle
from an external point, is measured by half the difference of the intercepted arcs.
10. If from a point outside a circle a secant and a tangent are drawn, the tangent is the mean
proportional between the whole secant and its external segment.

Intersecting Secants

θ = ½ (ArcAC – ArcBD)
A
B (OA)(OB) = (OC)(OD)
θ O ADC = ABC
BAD = BCD
D
C
 Intersecting Tangent and Secant

B θ = ½ (ArcBC – ArcAC)
(OA)(OB) = (OC)(OD)
A ADC = ABC
BAD = BCD
α θ α = ½ ArcAC
O
C

11. A perpendicular from a point on the circumference to a diameter of a circle is a mean

proportional between the segment of the diameter

a b

h2 = a b

12. The circumferences of two circles are in the same ratio as their radii and the arcs of two
circles subtended by equal central angles are in the same ratio as their radii.

RADIUS OF CIRCLES
Circle Circumscribed about a Triangle (Circumcircle)
A circle is circumscribed about a triangle if it passes through the vertices of the triangle.

Circumcenter abc
a of the triangle r =
r
4 AT
c
b AT = area of triangle

Circle Inscribed in a Triangle (Incircle)

A circle is inscribed in a triangle if it is tangent to the three sides of the triangle.

B
AT
Incenter of r =
the triangle s
c a
r a+b+c
r s =
r 2
A b C
Circle Escribed about a Triangle (Excircles)
A circle is escribed about a triangle if it is tangent to one side and to the prolongation of the other
two sides. A triangle has three escribed circles.

ra
ra a c
ra
b

AT AT AT
ra = ; rb = ; rc =
s–a s–b s–c

Circle Circumscribed about a Quadrilateral

A circle is circumscribed about a quadrilateral if it passes through the vertices of the quadrilateral.

b
(ab + cd)(ac + bd)(ad + bc)
r c r =
4 Aquad
a
d Aquad = (s – a)(s – b)(s – c)(s – d)
a+b+c+d
Semi-perimeter =
2

Circle Inscribed in a Quadrilateral

A circle is inscribed in a quadrilateral if it is tangent to the four sides of the quadrilateral.

r Aquad
a c r =
s
d Aquad = abcd
a+b+c+d
Semi-perimeter =
2
CE Board May 1995
What is the area in sq. cm. of the circle circumscribed about an equilateral triangle with a side 10 cm
long?

r 5
10 60°
5
60° r
10
5
Ac = π r2 ; sin 60° =
r
r = 5.7735
Ac = π (5.7735)2 = 104.72 cm2
CE Board Nov. 1995
The area of a circle circumscribed about an equilateral triangle is 254.47 sq. m. What is the area of
the triangle in sq. meters?

x r x y
30° r
30°
½x ½x

At = ½ x y ; y = x sin 60°
= ½ x2 sin 60° ½ x
cos 30° =
r
x = 2 r cos 30° ; Ac = π r 2
254.47 = π r2
r = 9
x = 2 (9) cos 30° = 15.59 m
At = ½ (15.59)2 sin 60° = 105.24 m2
CE Board Nov. 2000
The area of a triangle is 65 sq. cm. and its perimeter is 48 cm. Compute the radius of the inscribed
circle.

r r

r
 AT a+b+c 48
r = ; s = = = 24
s 2 2
65
r = = 2.708 cm
24
CE Board Nov. 2001
The area of a triangle inscribed in a semi-circle having a radius of 7.5 cm is equal to 54 cm2. Find
one of the sides of the triangle.

a b

15 cm
AT = ½ a b = 54 Let x = b2
a b = 108 x2 – 225x + 11664 = 0
a2 + b2 = 152 = 225 x = 81
108 2 b2 = 81
+ b2 = 225 b = 9
b a (9) = 108
11664 a = 12
+ b2 – 225 = 0
2
b
11664 + b4 – 225 b2 = 0
b4 – 225 b2 + 11664 = 0
CE Board May 2002
A circle having a diameter of 8 cm is inscribed in a sector having a central angle of 80°. Find the
area of the sector
B

40° D 4
A
40°
4

π R2 θ C
Asector = ; R = AD + 4
360° 4
sin 40° =
AD
AD = 6.22
R = 6.22 + 4 = 10.22
 π (10.22)2 (80°)
Asector = = 72.92 cm2
360°
CE Board Nov. 2008
The perimeter of a triangle is 84 m while its area is 102 sq. m. Determine the diameter of the circle
that maybe inscribed in this triangle.

r r
D
r

D = 2r
AT a+b+c 84
r = ; s = = = 42 m
s 2 2
102
r = = 2.429 m
42
D = 2 (2.429) = 4.858 m

CE Board May 2010, CE Board Nov. 2012

A circle having a radius of 9 cm circumscribes a right triangle whose area is 43.23 sq. cm. If one of
the sides is 18 cm long, find one of the sides of the triangle.

a b

18 cm
AT = ½ a b = 43.23 Let x = b2
a b = 86.46 x2 – 324 x + 7475.33 = 0
a2 + b2 = 182 = 324 x = 25
86.46 2 b2 = 25
+ b2 = 324 b = 5
b a (5) = 86.46
7475.33 a = 17.292
+ b2 – 324 = 0
b2
7475.33 + b4 – 324 b2 = 0
b4 – 324 b2 + 7475.33 = 0
CE Board Nov. 2010
A certain triangle have sides, a = 42 cm, b = 51 cm, and c = 64.05 cm. Find the radius of the
inscribed circle.

c = 64.05 cm
r r a = 42 cm

b = 51 cm
AT 42 + 51 + 64.05
r = ; s = = 78.525
s 2
s – a = 36.525
s – b = 27.525
s – c = 14.475
AT = 78.525 (36.525)(27.525)(14.475)
AT = 1068.986 cm2
1068.986
r = = 13.61 cm
78.525
CE Board Dec. 2014
Two chords of a certain circle O, AB and CD intersect at point E. If it is given that CE = 10, ED = 6
and AE = 4, calculate the length of EB. D A

(AE)(EB) = (CE)(ED)
E
4 (EB) = 10 (6)
C
EB = 15 B

CE Board May 2015

ABO is a circular sector having a central angle of 30º, with O as the center. If point M is located
midway between OB, Determine the area ABM if the radius of the circle is 4 cm.

Area of sector ABO:

π r2 θ
As = A
360°
r=4
π (4)2 (30º)
As = = 4.19 m2
360º O 30º
Area of triangle AMO: 2
4 (2) sin 30º M
2
AT = = 2m 2
2 B
 Area of ABM:
A = 4.19 – 2 = 2.19 m2
CE Board May 2015
A quadrilateral ABCD is inscribed in a circle having a diameter AD = 8.224 cm. If AB = 2 cm, BC = 4
cm, and CD = 6 cm, find the area of the quadrilateral.

A = (s – a)(s – b)(s – c)(s – d) C

B
a+b+c+d b=4
s = a=2 c=6
2
A D
2 + 4 + 6 + 8.224 d = 8.224
s =
2
s = 10.112

A = (10.112 – 2)(10.112 – 4)(10.112 – 6)(10.112 – 8.224)

A = 19.58 cm2
CE Board Nov. 2015
In triangle ABC, c = 30, a = 36, and b = 18. Find the radius of the circle tangent to the side c and
escribed outside the triangle.

AT
rc =
s–c B
rc
AT = s (s – a)(s – b)(s – c) a = 36
a+b+c c = 30
s = C
2 A b = 18

36 + 18 + 30
s =
2
s = 42

A = 42 (42 – 36)(42 – 18)(42 – 30)

A = 269.40
269.40
rc =
42 – 30
rc = 22.45 units
CE Board Nov. 2015
A right triangle is inscribed in a circle of radius 7.5 cm. One of its sides is 15 cm long and its area is
equal to 54 cm2. Compute the perimeter of the right triangle.

a b

15 cm
AT = ½ a b = 54 Let x = b2
a b = 108 x2 – 225x + 11664 = 0
a2 + b2 = 152 = 225 x = 81
2
108 b2 = 81
+ b2 = 225 b = 9
b a (9) = 108
11664 a = 12
+ b2 – 225 = 0
2
b Perimeter:
11664 + b4 – 225 b2 = 0 P = 12 + 9 + 15 = 36 cm
b4 – 225 b2 + 11664 = 0

Φ Ψ Ω ξ ζ Σ Ψ Φ A CURSE Φ Ψ Σ ζ ξ Ω Ψ Φ

Anybody who reproduces or shares this lecture note without permission from the author is doomed
to fail in the Board Examination.

JOHN A. PATNAAN
63405 Civil Engineer
1813 sanitary Engineer