Polynomials - are algebraic expressions that consist of variables and coefficients.

Variables are also sometimes called

indeterminates
Polynomial Equation - The equations formed with variables, exponents and coefficients
Polynomial Function - is an expression which consists of a single independent variable, where the variable can occur
in the equation more than one time with different degree of the exponent
polynomial function - is a function that involves only non-negative integer powers or only positive integer exponents
of a variable in an equation like the quadratic equation, cubic equation, etc. For example,
2x+5 is a polynomial that has exponent equal to 1.

Example of polynomial function:

f(x) = 3x2 + 5x + 19

Polynomial Function Examples

A polynomial function has only positive integers as exponents. We can even perform different types of arithmetic
operations for such functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Some of the examples of polynomial functions are here:
 x2+2x+1
 3x-7
 7x3+x2-2
All three expressions above are polynomial since all of the variables have positive integer exponents. But expressions
like;
 5x-1+1
 4x1/2+3x+1
 (9x +1) ÷ (x)
are not polynomials, we cannot consider negative integer exponents or fraction exponent or division here.

Types of Polynomial Functions

There are various types of polynomial functions based on the degree of the polynomial. The most common types are:
 Constant Polynomial Function: P(x) = a = ax0
 Zero Polynomial Function: P(x) = 0; where all ai’s are zero, i = 0, 1, 2, 3, …, n.
 Linear Polynomial Function: P(x) = ax + b
 Quadratic Polynomial Function: P(x) = ax2+bx+c
 Cubic Polynomial Function: ax3+bx2+cx+d
 Quartic Polynomial Function: ax4+bx3+cx2+dx+e

Factoring polynomials is the reverse procedure of the multiplication of factors of polynomials.

Factorisation of Polynomial
The process of finding factors of a given value or mathematical expression is called factorisation. Factors are the
integers that are multiplied to produce an original number. For example, the factors of 18 are 2, 3, 6, 9 and 18, such
as;
18 = 2 x 9
18 = 2 x 3 x 3
18 = 3 x 6
Similarly, in the case of polynomials, the factors are the polynomials which are multiplied to produce the original
polynomial. For example, the factors of x2 + 5x + 6 is (x + 2) (x + 3). When we multiply both x +2 and x+3, then the
original polynomial is generated. After factorisation, we can also find the zeros of the polynomials. In this case,
zeroes are x = -2 and x = -3.

Types of Factoring polynomials

There are six different methods to factorising polynomials. The six methods are as follows:
 Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
 Grouping Method
 Sum or difference in two cubes
 Difference in two squares method
 General trinomials
 Trinomial method
Factoring Polynomials By Grouping
This method is also said to be factoring by pairs. Here, the given polynomial is distributed in pairs or grouped in pairs
to find the zeros. Let us take an example.
Example: Factorise x2-15x+50
Find the two numbers which when added gives -15 and when multiplied gives 50.
So, -5 and -10 are the two numbers, such that;
(-5) + (-10) = -15
(-5) x (-10) = 50
Hence, we can write the given polynomial as;
x2-5x-10x+50
x(x-5)-10(x-5)
Taking x – 5 as common factor we get;
(x-5)(x-10)
Hence, the factors are (x – 5) and (x – 10).

Factoring Using Identities

The factorisation can be done also by using algebraic identities. The most common identities used in terms of the
factorisation are:
 (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2
 (a – b)2 = a2 – 2ab + b2
 a2 – b2= (a + b)(a – b)
Let us see an example:
Factorise (x2 – 112)
Using the identity, we can write the above polynomial as;
(x+11) (x-11)

Solved Examples
Question 1:
Check whether x+3 is a factor of x3 + 3x2 + 5x +15.

Solution:

Let x + 3= 0
=> x = -3

Now, p(x) = x3 + 3x2 + 5x +15

Let us check the value of this polynomial for x = -3.

p(-3) = (-3)3 + 3 (-3)2 + 5(-3) + 15

p(-3) = -27 + 27 – 15 + 15 = 0
p(-3) = 0
x+3 is a factor of x3 + 3x2 + 5x +15.

Types of Polynomial Equation

A polynomial equation is basically of four types;
1. Monomial Equations
2. Binomial Equations
3. Trinomial or Cubic Equations
4. Linear Polynomial Equations
5. Quadratic Polynomial Equations
6. Cubic Polynomial Equation
Monomial Equation:
An equation which has only one variable term is called a Monomial equation. This is also called a linear equation. It
can be expressed in the algebraic form of;
ax + b = 0
For Example:
 4x + 1 = 0
  5y = 2
 8z – 3 = 0
Binomial Equations:
An equation which has only two variable terms and is followed by one variable term is called a Binomial equation.
This is also in the form of the quadratic equation. It can be expressed in the algebraic form of;
ax2 + bx + c = 0
For Example:
 2x2 + 5x + 20 = 0
 3x2 – 4x + 12 = 0
Trinomial Equations:
An equation which has only three variable terms and is followed by two variable and one variable term is called a
Trinomial equation. This is also called a cubic equation. In other words, a polynomial equation which has a degree of
three is called a cubic polynomial equation or trinomial polynomial equation.
Since the power of the variable is the maximum up to 3, therefore, we get three values for a variable, say x.
It is expressed as;
a0 x3 + a1x2 + a2x + a3 = 0, a ≠ 0
or
ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0
For Example:
 3x3 + 12x2 – 8x – 10 = 0
 9x3 + 5x2 – 4x – 2 = 0
To get the value of x, we generally use, trial and error method, in which we start putting the value of x randomly, to
get the given expression as 0. If for both sides of the polynomial equation, we get 0 ,then the value of x is considered
as one of its roots. After that we can find the other two values of x.

Let us take an example:

Problem: y3 – y2 + y – 1 = 0 is a cubic polynomial equation. Find the roots of it.
Solution: y3 – y2 + y – 1 = 0 is the given equation.

By trial and error method, start putting the value of x.

If y = -1, then,
(-1)3 – (-1)2 -1 + 1 = 0
-1 – 1 – 1 – 1 = 0
-4 ≠ 0
If y = 1, then,
1 3 – 12 + 1 – 1 = 0
0=0
Therefore, one of the roots is 1.
y=1
(y – 1) is one of the factors.
Now dividing the given equation with (y – 1), we get,
(y – 1) (y2 + 1) = 0
Therefore, the roots are y = 1 which is a real number and y2 + 1 gives complex numbers or imaginary numbers.

Quadratic Polynomial Equation

A polynomial equation which has a degree as two is called a quadratic equation. The expression for the quadratic
equation is:
ax2 + bx + c = 0 ; a ≠ 0
Here, a,b, and c are real numbers. The roots of quadratic equations will be two values for the variable x.

Degree of a Polynomial
The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest exponent of a monomial within a polynomial. Thus, a
polynomial equation having one variable which has the largest exponent is called a degree of the polynomial.
 Polynomial Degree Example

Zero Polynomial Not Defined 6

Constant 0 P(x) = 6

Linear Polynomial 1 P(x) = 3x+1

Quadratic Polynomial 2 P(x) = 4x2+1x+1

Cubic Polynomial 3 P(x) = 6x3+4x2+3x+1

Quartic Polynomial 4 P(x) = 6x4+3x3+3x2+2x+1

Example: Find the degree of the polynomial P(x) = 6s4+ 3x2+ 5x +19
Solution:
The degree of the polynomial is 4 as the highest power of the variable 4.

Terms of a Polynomial
The terms of polynomials are the parts of the expression that are generally separated by “+” or “-” signs. So, each
part of a polynomial in an expression is a term. For example, in a polynomial, say, 2x2 + 5 +4, the number of terms will
be 3. The classification of a polynomial is done based on the number of terms in it.

Polynomial Terms Degree

P(x) = x3-2x2+3x+4 x3, -2x2, 3x and 4 3

Types of Polynomials
Depending upon the number of terms, polynomials are divided into the following categories:
 Monomial
 Binomial
 Trinomial
 Polynomial containing 4 terms (Quadronomial)
 Polynomial containing 5 terms (pentanomial ) and so on …
These polynomials can be combined using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division but is never divided by a
variable. A few examples of Non Polynomials are: 1/x+2, x-3
Monomial
A monomial is an expression which contains only one term. For an expression to be a monomial, the single term
should be a non-zero term. A few examples of monomials are:
 5x
 3
 6a4
 -3xy
Binomial
A binomial is a polynomial expression which contains exactly two terms. A binomial can be considered as a sum or
difference between two or more monomials. A few examples of binomials are:
 – 5x+3,
 6a4 + 17x
 xy2+xy
Trinomial
A trinomial is an expression which is composed of exactly three terms. A few examples of trinomial expressions are:
  – 8a4+2x+7
 4x2 + 9x + 7

Monomial Binomial Trinomial

One Term Two terms Three terms

Example: x, 3y, 29, x/2 Example: x2+x, x3-2x, y+2 Example: x2+2x+20

Circle and its Parts

The different parts of a circle are listed below:
 Circumference
 Radius
 Diameter
 Chord
 Tangent
 Secant
 Arc
 Segment
 Sector
Let us discuss each of the parts in detail.
Circumference of a Circle
The circumference of a circle is its boundary. In other words, when we measure the boundary or the distance around
the circle, that measure is called the circumference and it is expressed in units of length like centimeters, meters, or
kilometers. The circumference of a circle has three most important elements namely, the center, the diameter, and
the radius.
Since we cannot use the ruler (scale) to measure the distance of this curved figure, we apply a formula that uses the
radius, diameter, and the value of Pi (π). The formulas for the circumference of a circle are given as follows:
 When the radius is given: Circumference of a circle formula = 2πr
 When the diameter is given: Circumference of a circle formula = π × D
Where,
 r = radius of the circle.
 D = diameter of the circle.
 π = Pi with the value approximated to 3.14159 or 22/7.
adius of a Circle
The radius of a circle is the length of the line segment joining the center of the circle to any point on the
circumference of the circle. A circle can have many radii (the plural form of radius) and they measure the same.
Usually, the radius of a circle is denoted by 'r'.
To calculate the radius of a circle when the diameter, area of a circle, and circumference is known, we use the
following formulas:
 Radius of Circle = Diameter / 2 - The diameter is twice the length of the radius and is also the longest chord
of the circle. When the diameter is known, we use this formula.
 Radius of Circle = Circumference / 2π - The circumference is the perimeter of the circle and when the
circumference is given, we use this formula.
 Radius of Circle = √(Area/π) - The area of a circle is the space inside the circle. Hence, when the area of the
circle is given, we use this formula.

Diameter of a Circle
The diameter of a circle is a line segment that passes through the center of the circle and with endpoints that lie on
the circumference of a circle. The diameter is also known as the longest chord of the circle and is twice the length of
the radius. The diameter is measured from one end of the circle to a point on the other end of the circle, passing
through the center. The diameter is denoted by the letter D. There can be an infinite number of diameters where the
length of each diameter of the circle is length.
To calculate the diameter of a circle when the radius, area of a circle, and circumference is known, we use the
following formulas:
 Diameter = Circumference/π (used when the circumference is given)
 Diameter = Radius × 2 (used when the radius is given)
  Diameter = 2√(Area/π) (used when the area of the circle is given)

Chord of a Circle
A chord of a circle is a line segment that joins two points on the circumference of the circle. A chord divides the circle
into two regions known as the segment of the circle which can be referred to as minor segment and major segment
depending on the area covered by the chord. In a circle, when the chord is extended infinitely on both sides it
becomes a secant. In the figure given below, PQ is represented as the chord of the circle with O as the center.
To calculate the chord of a circle, we use two basic formulas:
 Chord Length = 2 × √(r2 − d2) (using perpendicular distance from the center)
 Chord Length = 2 × r × sin(c/2) (using trigonometry)
Where,
 r is the radius of the circle
 c is the angle subtended at the center by the chord
 d is the perpendicular distance from the chord to the circle center.
Tangent of a Circle
The tangent of a circle is defined as a straight line that touches the curve of the circle at only one point and does not
enter the circle’s interior. The tangent touches the circle's radius at a right angle. The two main aspects to remember
in the tangent is the slope (m) and a point on the line. The general equation or formula of the tangent to a circle is:
 The tangent to a circle equation x2 + y2 = a2 for a line y = mx + c is given by the equation y = mx ± a √[1+ m2]
 The tangent to a circle equation x2+ y2 = a2 at (a1, b1) is xa1 + yb1 = a2. This means that the equation of the
tangent is expressed as xa1 + yb1 = a2, where a1 and b1 are the coordinates at which the tangent is made.

Secant of a Circle
The secant of a circle is the line that cuts across the circle intersecting the circle at two distinct points. The difference
between a chord and a secant is that a chord is a line segment whose endpoints are on the circumference of the
circle whereas a secant passes through the circle forming a chord or diameter of the circle.
There are three secant theorems used in the circle which are given below:
 Theorem 1: When two secants intersect at an exterior point, the product of the one whole secant segment
and its external segment is equal to the product of the other whole secant segment and its external segment.
 Theorem 2: Two secants can intersect inside or outside a circle.
 Theorem 3: If a secant and a tangent are drawn to a circle from a common exterior point, then the product of
the length of the whole secant segment and its external secant segment is equal to the square of the length
of the tangent segment.
The figure given below shows the secant PQ and the chord AB.

Arc of a Circle
The arc of a circle is the curved part or a part of the circumference of a circle. In other words, the curved portion of
an object is mathematically called an arc. The arc of a circle has two arcs namely, minor arc and major arc. To find the
measure of these arcs we need to find the length of the arc along with the angle suspended by the arc of any two
points. To calculate the length of the arc we use different formulas based on the unit of the central angle (degrees or
radians). For a circle, the arc length formula is θ times the radius of a circle. The formulas are:
 Arc Length = θ × r (used for radians)
 Arc Length = θ × (π/180) × r (used for degrees)
Where,
 L = Length of an Arc
 θ = Central angle of Arc
 r = Radius of the circle
Segment of a Circle
A segment of a circle is the region that is bounded by an arc and a chord of the circle. There are two types of
segments - minor segment and major segment. A minor segment is made by a minor arc and a major segment is
made by a major arc of the circle. To calculate the segment of a circle, we consider the area of the segment which
consists of a sector (arc + 2 radii) and a triangle. Hence, the formula for the area of a segment can be expressed as
follows
 Area of a segment of circle = area of the sector - area of the triangle
Note: To find the area of the major segment of a circle, we just subtract the corresponding area of the minor
segment from the total area of the circle.
Sector of a Circle
A sector of a circle is a pie-shaped part of a circle made of the arc along with its two radii dividing the circle into a
minor sector and a major sector. The larger portion of the circle is called the major sector whereas the smaller
portion of the circle is called the minor sector. The 2 radii meet at the part of the circumference of a circle known as
an arc, forming a sector of a circle. The formulas to calculate the sector of the circle are:
 Area of a sector (A) = (θ/360°) × πr2 (when the angle is given)
 Length of a section (l) = (θπr) /180 (when the length is given)
 Area of a sector of a circle = (l × r)/2 (when the length and radius is given)
 Perimeter of a sector of a circle = 2 Radius + ((θ/360) × 2πr )
Where,
 r = radius of the circle.
 l = length of the arc.
 θ = angle in degrees.
 π = Pi with the value approximated to 3.14159 or 22/7.
☛ Related Topics
 Circumference to Diameter
 Semicircle
 3D shapes

Download FREE Study Materials

Parts of Circle Worksheets

Parts of Circle Worksheets
Worksheets on Circumference of Circle

Examples on Parts of Circle

 Example 1: The circumference of a wheel is 540 cm. Find its radius and diameter.
Solution:
Given, the Circumference of the wheel = 540 cm.
Circumference of a circle formula = 2πr
Let us substitute the given value of the circumference in the formula to find the radius.
540 = 2πr
540 = 2 × 22/7 × r
r = 85.9 cm
Diameter = 2r
Diameter = 2 × 85.9
Therefore, the radius is 85.9 cm, and the diameter is 171.8 cm.
 Example 2: Identify the parts of a circle and state true or false for the following statements:
a.) OS is the radius of the circle.
b.) PQ is the secant of the circle.
c.) If we join O and P, then OP can also be called the radius of the circle.

Solution:
a.) True, OS is the radius of the circle.
b.) False, PQ is not the secant of the circle. It is the chord of the circle.
c.) True, if we join O and P, then OP can also be called the radius of the circle.
 Example 3: Find the diameter of a circle if its circumference is 88 cm.
Solution: If the circumference is given, we can find the diameter of a circle using the following formula:
Diameter = Circumference/π
After substituting the value of circumference = 88 cm, and π = 3.14, we get, Diameter = Circumference/π
Diameter = 88/3.14
= 28.02 cm
Therefore, the diameter of the circle is 28.02 cm.

Central Angle
Central Angle is the angle formed by two arms and having the vertex at the center of a circle. The two arms form two
radii of the circle intersecting the arc of the circle at different points. Central angle is helpful to divide a circle
into sectors. A slice of pizza is a good example of central angle. A pie chart is made up of a number of sectors and
helps to represent different quantities.
A protractor is a simple example of a sector with a central angle of 180º. Central angle can also be defined as the
angle formed by an arc of the circle at the center of the circle. Let us learn more about the central angle theorem,
and how to find central angle, with the help of examples, FAQs.
Definition of Central Angle
Central angle is the angle subtended by an arc of a circle at the center of a circle. The radius vectors form the arms of
the central angle. In other words, it is an angle whose vertex is the center of a circle with the two radii lines as its
arms, that intersect at two different points on the circle. When these two points are joined they form an arc. Central
angle is the angle subtended by this arc at the center of the circle.

Here O is the center of the circle, AB is the arc and, OA is a radius and OB is another radius of the circle. The central
angle of a circle formula is as follows.
Central Angle= s×36002πrs×36002πr

Here "s" is the length of the arc and "r" is the radius of the circle. This is the formula for finding central angle in
degrees. For finding the central angle in radians, we have to divide the arc length by the length of the radius of the
circle.
Central Angle Theorem
Theorem: The angle subtended by an arc at the center of the circle is double the angle subtended by it at any other
point on the circumference of the circle.
OR
The central angle theorem states that the central angle of a circle is double the measure of the angle subtended by
the arc in the other segment of the circle.
∠AOB = 2 × ∠ACB
Central Angle = 2 × Angle in other segment
How To Find Central Angle?
The central angle is the angle between any two radii of a circle. To find the central angle we need to find the arc
length (which is the distance between the two points of intersection of the two radii with the circumference) and the
radius length. The steps given below shows how to calculate central angle in radians.
There are three simple steps to finding the central angle.
 Identify the ends of the arc and the center of the circle (curve). AB is the arc of the circle and O is the center
of the circle.

 Join the ends of the arc with the center of the circle. Also, measure the length of the arc and the radius. Here
AB is the length of the arc and OA and OB are the radii of the circle.
  Divide the length of the curve with the radius, to get the central angle. By using the formula shown below,
we will find the value of the central angle in radians.
Central Angle=Length of the ArcRadiusCentral Angle=Length of the ArcRadius
Important Notes
 The central angle of a circle is measured in radian measure and sexagesimal measure.
 The unit of radian measure is radians and the unit of sexagesimal measure is degrees.
 Radian × (180/π) = Sexagesimal

 Example 1: Sam measures the angle in a triangle with the help of a protractor as 60º. Convert the angle
into radian measure.

Solution:
The given angle of 60° is in sexagesimal measure.
Radian = π/180° × Sexagesimal
Radian = π/180° × 60°
Radian = π/3

Therefore, the central angle is π/3 radians.

 Example 2: Larry drew a circle and cut it into four equal parts using two diameters. How can you help Larry
to measure the central angle or inscribed angle of each part of the circle?

Solution:
Larry cuts the circle into four equal parts.
Complete angle in a circle = 360°
Angle of each quadrant = 360°/4
= 90°
Therefore, the central angle of a quadrant is 90°.
  Example 3: Sally marks an arc of length 8 inches and measures its central angle as 120 degrees. What is the
radius of the arc?
Solution:
Radius of the arc = 8 inches
Central Angle = 120°
Central angle = (length of arc × 360°)/(2 π × radius)
radius = (length of arc × 360°)/(2 π × Central angle)
radius =(8 × 360°) / (2 π × 120°)
radius = 12/π
Therefore, the radius is 12/π inches.

 Example 4: Jim uses a compass to draw an arc of length 11 inches and a radius of 7 inches. Without using a
protractor, how can Jim calculate the angle of this arc?

Solution:
Length of the arc = 11 inches
Radius of the arc = 7 inches
Angle of the arc = (length of arc × 360°)/(2 π r)
Angle = (11 × 360°)/ (2 × 22/7 × 7)
Angle = 90°
Therefore, the angle of the arc is 90°.

Central Angle of a Circle Formula

The angle between two radii of a circle is known as the central angle of the circle. The two points of the circle, where
the radii intersect in the circle (Note – The other end of the radii meets at the centre of the circle), forms a segment
of the Circle called the Arc Length.

Solved Examples
Example 1: Find the central angle, where the arc length measurement is about 20 cm and the length of
the radius measures 10 cm.
Solution:
Given,
r = 10 cm
Arc length = 20 cm
The formula of central angle is,

Central Angle

Example 2: If the central angle of a circle is 82.4° and the arc length formed is 23 cm then find out the radius of the
circle.
Solution:
Given,
Arc length = 23 cm
The formula of central angle is,
Central Angle