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CIE IGCSE Additional Maths Your notes
Coordinate Geometry of the Circle

Contents
Equation of a Circle
Tangents to Circles
Intersection of Two Circles
Page 1 of 21
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Your notes
What is the equation of a circle?
A circle with centre (a, b) and radius r has the equation
( x − a 2 + y − b 2 = r2
) ( )
You need to be able to find the equation of a circle given its centre and radius
Substitute the values into the formula
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Your notes
How do I find the centre and radius of a centre given its equation?
Make sure it is in the form (x − a ) 2 + (y − b ) 2 = r 2
The radius is the positive square root of the constant term
The coordinates of the centre can be found by finding the values that make each bracket equal to
zero
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Your notes
Examiner Tip
Remember that the numbers in the brackets have the opposite signs to the coordinates of the
centre
Don't forget to take the square root of the right-hand side of the equation when finding the radius
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Worked example
Your notes
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Finding the Centre & Radius

What are the different forms of the equation of a circle? Your notes
The most useful equation of a circle is (x − a ) 2 + (y − b ) 2 = r 2
This is so the centre, ( a , b ) and radius r are easy to see
Any other form of the equation of a circle can be rearranged into this form
The most common alternative form for the equation of a circle is called the general form
x 2 + y 2 + 2gx + 2fy + c = 0
How do I find the centre and radius of a circle from any form of its equation?
A circle equation in a different form can always be rearranged into (x- a)2 + (y - b)2 = r2
The centre is then ( a , b ) and radius r
Rearranging to this form will often involve completing the square
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Worked example
Your notes
Page 7 of 21
Intersection of a Circle & a Line

What is meant by the intersection of a circle and a line? Your notes
A line may pass through a circle
in which case it will intersect the circle twice
the part of the line between the two points of intersection will be a chord
or, if it passes through the centre of the circle, a diameter
A line may touch a circle
in which case it will intersect the circle once
such a line would be called a tangent to the circle
A line may not intersect a circle at all
How do I determine whether a line and a circle intersect?

For the equation of a circle in the form (x − a ) 2 + (y − b ) 2 = r 2 and the equation of a line in the
form y = mx + c
STEP 1
Substitute the linear equation into the circle equation
e.g.
(x − 5) 2 + (y − 2) 2 = 13 and y = x − 4
would become
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(x − 5) 2 + ( (x − 4) − 2) 2 = 13
STEP 2 Your notes

Expand, rearrange and simplify this equation - it should be a quadratic
e.g.
(x − 5) 2 + (x − 6) 2 = 13
x 2 − 10x + 25 + x 2 − 12x + 36 − 13 = 0
x 2 − 11x + 24 = 0
STEP 3
Solve the equation to deduce the number of intersections
If there are two solutions, there are two intersections, one solution (repeated) indicates a tangent, no
(real) solutions indicates no intersection
e.g.
(x − 3) (x − 8) = 0
x = 3, x = 8
Two solutions so the line and the circle intersect twice
STEP 4
If required, find the y -coordinates of the intersection(s)
e.g.
y =x −4
y = 3 − 4 = − 1, y = 8 − 4 = 4
The line and the circle intersect at the points (3, − 1) and (8, 4)
Examiner Tip
A horizontal or vertical line could intersect a circle, when the full method shown above is
unnecessary
Horizontal lines have the form , so substitute for in the circle equation (and solve
for )
Vertical lines have the form , so substitute for in the circle equation (and solve for
)
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Worked example
Your notes
Show that the line y = 4x + 4 is tangent to the circle (x − 4) 2 + (y − 3) 2 = 17 .
State the coordinates of the point of intersection between the tangent and the circle.
STEP 1 - Substitute the linear equation into the circle equation
STEP 2 - Rearrange to a quadratic
STEP 3 - Solve
(repeated)
There is only one point of intersection so the line is tangent to the circle
STEP 4 - The coordinates are required
The line and circle intersect at
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Tangents to Circles
Your notes
Tangents to Circles
What is a tangent to a circle?
A tangent (to a circle) is a line that touches the circle at a single point but does not cut across the circle
A tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius of the circle at the point of intersection
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Your notes
How can I find the equation of the tangent line to a circle at a given point?
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STEP 1
Find the gradient of the radius OP
Your notes
STEP 2
Find the gradient of the tangent
As they are perpendicular, if the gradient of the radius is m , then, the gradient of the tangent is
r
1
mt = −
mr
(Negative reciprocal)
Alternatively,
STEP 3
The equation of the tangent is the equation of the line with that gradient that goes through point P (x2,
y 2)
Write down the equation using y − y = m (x − x ) where m is the gradient
2 t 2 t
Examiner Tip
If you understand the formula in Step 2 above
Gradient of tangent
you can find the gradient of the tangent directly without having to find the gradient of the radius
first.
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Worked example
Your notes
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Your notes
What is meant by the intersection of two circles?
Two circles may intersect once (touch), twice (cross), or not at all
Touching circles may be referred to as tangent to each other
they would have a common tangent line
How do I determine if two circles intersect or not?

Find the distance, d , between the centres of the two circles
This can be found using Pythagoras' theorem
For centres (x , y ) and (x , y ) , d 2 = (x − x ) 2 + (y − y ) 2
1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1
The radii of the two circles, r and r , where r ≥ r are also needed
1 2 2 1
If r − r < d < r + r then the circles intersect twice
2 1 1 2
If d = r − r or d = r + r then the circles intersect once
2 1 1 2
If d > r + r or d < r − r then the circles do not intersect
1 2 2 1
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Your notes
Rather than trying to remember those formulae, try to understand the logic behind each situation
How do I find the coordinates of the point(s) of intersection of two circles?

Once it has been determined that the circles do intersect at least once, the following process can be
used to determine the coordinates of any intersections
STEP 1
Rearrange both circle equations so that one side is zero
STEP 2
Put the circle equations equal to each other (i.e. solve simultaneously!)
STEP 3
Expand/rearrange/simplify into a linear equation
The x 2 and y 2 terms will cancel, leaving an equation of the form y = mx + c , x = k or y = k
(These are 'diagonal line', 'vertical line' and 'horizontal line')
The intersection(s) will lie on this line
STEP 4
Substitute the linear equation into either of the circle equations
Solving this equation will lead to either the x -coordinate(s) or y -coordinate(s) of the intersection(s)
STEP 5
Substitute the x (or y ) coordinates into either circle equation to find the corresponding y (or x )
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coordinates
This step will not be needed in the case of the linear equation being of the form x = k or y = k
Your notes
Examiner Tip
Even if not given, or asked for, a sketch of the circles can help visualise their positions relative to
each other
You can then see if your final answers make sense with your sketch
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Worked example
Your notes
a) Determine the number of intersections between the circles with equations x 2 + y 2 = 2 and
(x − 4) 2 + y 2 = 10.
has centre and radius .
has centre and radius .
Using a sketch may help you to 'see' that .
Compare with the sum and difference of and .
The circles intersect twice

b) Determine the coordinates of any intersections between the circles with equations
x 2 + y 2 = 2 and (x − 4) 2 + y 2 = 10.
STEP 1 - Rearrange both equations so zero is on one side
STEP 2 - Put the equations equal to each other
STEP 3 - Expand and rearrange until in linear form
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Your notes
STEP 4 - Substitute into either circle equation
STEP 5 - Not required in this case

The intersections of the two circles have coordinates (1, 1) and (1,-1)
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Equation of Common Chord

What is a common chord? Your notes
For circles that intersect twice the common chord is the line that joins the points of intersection
This line is a chord in both circles
Circles that intersect once (touch) have a common tangent
How do I find the equation of a common chord?

As a common chord is a straight line, its equation will be of the form y = mx + c unless
it is a horizontal line, in which case its equation will be of the form y = k
it is a vertical line, in which case its equation will be of the form x = k
Depending on the known information, there are two ways to find the equation of the common chord
If the equations of the circles are known
Equate the equations and rearrange the equation into one of the three forms above
For example,
x 2 + y 2 − 4x + 2y − 8 = x 2 + y 2 − 8x − 2y + 16
4x + 4y = 24
So the equation of the common chord is y = 6 − x
If the points of intersection are known
Use the method of finding the equation of a straight line from two known points
If the intersection points are (x , y ) and (x , y ) then the equation of the common chord
1 1 2 2
would be
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y2 − y1
y − y1 = x − x 1)
x2 − x1 ( Your notes
y2 − y1
is the gradient and it can be easier to work this out first, separately
x2 − x1
Worked example
Two circles intersect at the points with coordinates (3, − 1) and (8, 4) .
Find the equation of the common chord of the two circles.

The points of intersection are known.
Use the method of finding the equation of a straight line from two known points.
First find the gradient,
Apply to get the equation of the common chord.
The equation of the common chord is
Page 21 of 21

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CIE IGCSE Additional Maths Your notes

Coordinate Geometry of the Circle

Finding the Centre & Radius

Intersection of a Circle & a Line

How do I determine whether a line and a circle intersect?

STEP 2 Your notes

STEP 1 - Substitute the linear equation into the circle equation

STEP 2 - Rearrange to a quadratic

STEP 4 - The coordinates are required

The line and circle intersect at

Intersection of Two Circles

How do I determine if two circles intersect or not?

How do I find the coordinates of the point(s) of intersection of two circles?

has centre and radius .

has centre and radius .

Using a sketch may help you to 'see' that .

Compare with the sum and difference of and .

The circles intersect twice

STEP 2 - Put the equations equal to each other

STEP 3 - Expand and rearrange until in linear form

STEP 4 - Substitute into either circle equation

STEP 5 - Not required in this case

Equation of Common Chord

How do I find the equation of a common chord?

Find the equation of the common chord of the two circles.

Apply to get the equation of the common chord.

The equation of the common chord is

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