CHAPTER 12

Circles

Terminology and Basic Formulas

The SAT Math Test includes questions that test your
knowledge of circles, including circles drawn on a coordinate
plane. Here are some key features that you should review
before test day:
• Radius (r): the distance from the center of a circle to its
edge
• Chord: a line segment that connects two points on a
circle
• Diameter (d): a chord that passes through the center of
a circle. The diameter is always the longest chord a circle
can have and is twice the length of the radius.
• Circumference (C): the distance around a circle given
by the formula C = 2πr = πd
• Area (A): the space a circle takes up given by the
formula A = πr2
• Total number of degrees in a circle: 360 degrees
Tip: Finding the radius of a circle is often the key to unlocking
several other components of the circle. Therefore, your first
step for many circle questions will be to find the radius.
Angles, Arcs, and Sectors
The SAT can also ask you about parts of a circle. These parts
include angles, arcs, and sectors. You’ll need to be familiar
with the following terms:
• When radii cut a circle into multiple (but not necessarily
equal) pieces, the angle at the center of the circle
contained by the radii is the central angle. The measure
of a central angle cannot be greater than the number of
degrees in a circle (360 degrees).
• When two chords share a common endpoint on the
circumference of a circle, the angle between the chords is
an inscribed angle.
• An arc is part of a circle’s circumference. Thus, an arc
length can never be greater than the circumference. Both
chords and radii can cut a circle into arcs. The number of
arcs present depends on how many chords and/or radii
are present. If only two arcs are present, the smaller arc
is called the minor arc, and the larger one is the major
arc. On the SAT, if an arc is named with only its two
endpoints (such as P Q), then you can assume it is a
minor arc, which always has a measure that is less than
180 degrees. If a diameter cuts a circle in half, the two
arcs formed are called semicircles and measure exactly
180 degrees.
• A sector is a pie-shaped piece of a circle enclosed by
two radii and an arc. The area of a sector cannot be
greater than the total area of the circle.
The following ratios can be used to find the size of part of a
circle based on what you know about the whole circle:

arc length central angle area of sector

= =
o
circumf erence 360 area of circle
Radian Measure
Radians, like degrees, are a measure of the size of angles.
There are 2π radians in a circle, which means 2π = 360°, or π
= 180°. To convert between radians and degrees, use the
π
conversion factor whichever is needed to cancel
180°
or ,
180° π
the unit that you are trying to eliminate. For example, to
change 60 degrees to radians, use the conversion factor with
degrees in the denominator so that the degrees cancel:

∘
π π
60 π
60 × = =
∘
180 180 3

Knowing how to work with radians also allows you to use

these additional properties of circles:
• The length of an arc is equal to the radian measure of the
central angle that subtends (forms) the arc.
• The length of an arc is equal to twice the radian measure
of the inscribed angle that subtends the arc.

Tangent Lines
A tangent line touches a circle at exactly one point and is
perpendicular to the radius of the circle at the point of
contact. The following diagram demonstrates what this looks
like:
Tip: The presence of a right angle opens up the opportunity to
draw otherwise hidden shapes, so pay special attention to
tangent lines when they’re mentioned in a question.

Circles on the Coordinate Plane and

Their Equations
When a circle is drawn on a coordinate plane, its equation is
given by (x − h)2 + (y − k)2 = r2. This is called standard form.
The variables h and k represent the x- and y-coordinates of
the center of the circle, and r is the length of the radius. You
might also be given the general form of a circle, which is x2 +
y2 + Cx + Dy + E = 0, where C, D, and E are constants. Here
are some tips for working with equations of circles:
• To convert from standard form to general form, square
the two binomials, (x − h)2 and (y − k)2, square r, move
everything to the left side of the equal sign, and simplify
as much as possible.
• To convert from general form to standard form, complete
the square for the x terms, and then repeat for the y
terms.
• To find the center or radius of a circle, write the equation
in standard form.
Circles Drill

1. What is the area of a circle with a diameter of l2?

2. What is the radius of a circle with a circumference of 36π?

Questions 3–8 refer to the following figure.

3. What is the measure of ∠ABC?

4. What is the measure of ∠BDC?

 5. What is the length of minor arc BC?

6. What is the area of the sector created by ∠BDC?

7. What is the measure of the angle formed by radius DB

and the tangent line?

8. What is the measure of ∠BDC in radians?

9. What is the measure, in radians, of an angle of 135

degrees?

10. What is the measure, in degrees, of the smaller reference

angle formed by an angle of 2.25π radians?

Circles Practice Set

DIRECTIONS: Keep a calculator handy as you work through this practice set,
but reserve it for those questions that have a calculator icon next to them—
and even on those questions, use it only if you really need it. Questions
without the icon are intended to be done without a calculator, to help you
prepare for the no-calculator section of the SAT.

1. Which of the following equations is the equation of a circle

that is centered at (2, −1) in the xy-plane and passes
through the point (6, −1)?

A) (x − 2)2 + (y + 1)2 = 4
 B) (x + 2)2 + (y − 1)2 = 4
C) (x − 2)2 + (y + 1)2 = 16
D) (x + 2)2 + (y − 1)2 = 16

2. The radius of the circle above, with the center at A, is

36√ 3,the length of minor arc BD is 6π√3, and CD is
tangent to the circle. What is the length of CD?
3. In the xy-plane above, O is the center of the circle, and
3π
the measure of ∠AOB is 4 radians. If the radius of the
circle is 8, what is the y-coordinate of point A?

A) 4
B) 4√ 2

C) 4√ 3

D) 8√ 2

4. In the given figure, point O is the center of the circle. If

the radius is 6 and the area of minor sector AOB is 15π,
what is the value of x?

A) 90
B) 120
C) 130
D) 150
5. In the given figure, point O is the center of the circle.
What is the value of x?

A) 45
B) 60
C) 75
D) 90
6. A group of birders recorded the results of an afternoon of
birding in the form of the pie chart above. If the central
angle for the sector “Bluebirds” is 90 degrees, the central
angle for “Robins” is 120 degrees, and a total of 96 birds
were observed, how many more robins than bluebirds
were seen?
A) 8
B) 12
C) 18
D) 30
7. If AC is a diameter of the circle above and the lengths of
lines AB and BC are 6√3 and 6, respectively, what is the
length of minor arc BC?

A) π
B) 2π
C) 10
D) 4π
8. In the given figure, point O is the center of the circle. BA
and CA intersect at A and are tangent to the circle at
points B and C. If the circumference is 50, what is the
length, to the nearest tenth, of minor arc BC?

A) 7.3
B) 10.4
C) 14.6
D) 37.5

9. A circle has a radius of 10, and the x-coordinate of the

center in the xy-plane is −2. Two points on the
circumference of the circle are (6, 9) and (−8, −5). What is
the y-coordinate of the center?

A) −3
B) 0
 C) 3
D) 8
x(x − 6) = 47 − y(y + 10)

10. The equation above describes a circle in the xy-plane in a

nonstandard form. What is the radius of the circle?

Answers and Explanations

Circles Drill
2 2
1. Area = πr2 = π( 12
2
) = π(6) = 36 π

2. Circumference = 2πr, so 36π = 2πr, and r = 18.

3. Any triangle inscribed in a circle with the diameter as the

long side is a right triangle, so ∠ABC = 90°.

4. Angles BDC and BAC connect to the same points on the

circumference. Since ∠BDC is a central angle, its measure
is twice that of ∠BAC: 30° × 2 = 60°.

5. The circumference of the circle is πd = 12π. So the length

of arc BC is 360 × 12π=2π.
60

6. The area of the circle is πr2 = π(62) = 36π. So the area of

the sector is 360
60
× 36π = 6π.

7. Tangents are perpendicular to radii at the point where

they touch, so 90°.
π
8. 360° = 2π radians, so ∠BDC is π radians.
60
× 2 =
360 3

9. So, 270π = 360x, and π.

135 x 3
= . x =
360 π
2 4

10. 2π radians is a complete circle, so the angle is 2.25π − 2π

0.25 π
= 0.25π radians. so 90° = 2x, and x = 45°.
x
= ∘ ,
2π 360
Circles Practice Set

1. C
Difficulty: Medium
Strategic Advice: Determine the radius of the circle, then
use the coordinates of the center of the circle to state the
equation in the standard format for a circle.
Getting to the Answer: The distance between the center of
the circle and the point (6, −1) is 6 − 2 = 4, since the two
points have the same y-coordinate. This is the radius. The
equation for a circle with a center at (h, k) and a radius r is (x
− h)2 + (y − k)2 = r2. The coordinates of the center are given,
so the equation for this circle is (x − 2)2 + (y + 1)2 = 42 = 16.
Choice (C) is correct.

2. 36
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: Determine the central angle that defines
the arc BD. Since CD is tangent to the circle, triangle ACD is a
right triangle. Use the properties of right triangles to
determine the length of CD.
Getting to the Answer: The proportion to determine the
central angle for an arc, in which a is the number of degrees,
arc length
is 360
a
=
circumf erence
. Since the circumference of a circle is

π√ 3
6
2πr, the proportion is a

360
= . This simplifies to
π(36√3)
2

360
=
1

12
So, 12a = 360, and a = 30. This means that
.

triangle ACD is a 30-60-90 triangle with the side ratio

1 : √ 3 : 2. The length of AD is 36√ 3, so the length of CD is

36.
3. B
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: Determine the central angle of angle AOB,
then use the properties of triangles to get the y-coordinate of
point A. (Note that the scale of the graph is 2 units for each
grid.)
Getting to the Answer: Since 2π radians is 360°, write the
∠AOB
∘
3
π
proportion So, 3
4

∘
= . 2(∠AOB) = (360) = 270,
4
360 2 π
and ∠AOB = 135. This is 45 + 90, so a horizontal line from A
to the y-axis creates a 45-45-90 right triangle with the
hypotenuse being the radius, 8.
Since the side ratio of this triangle is 1 : 1√ 2 and the radius is
8, the length of the vertical leg is 8
= 4√ 2, which is also the
√2

y-coordinate of point A. Choice (B) is correct.

4. D
Difficulty: Medium
Strategic Advice: Use the ratio of the area of the sector to
the area of the circle to set up a proportion for the angles.
15 π ∘

Getting to the Answer: The proportion is π(62)

=
x

360
∘ . To
make the math easier, multiply both sides by 36, so
x
15 = ,
10

and x = 150. Choice (D) is correct.

5. A
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: The central angle theorem states that the
central angle from two points on a circle is twice the inscribed
angle from those points.
Getting to the Answer: The central angle in this question is
90°, so x° is half that, or 45°. Choice (A) is correct.

6. A
Difficulty: Medium
Strategic Advice: The area of a sector is the central angle
as a fraction of 360° times the area of the circle. For this pie
chart, think of the area as the total number of observations.
Use this property to calculate the difference between the
numbers of bluebirds and robins.
Getting to the Answer: Instead of calculating the number of
each type of bird, note that the difference in the central
angles for robins and bluebirds is 120° − 90° = 30°. This is
 30

360
=
1

12
the area of the circle. Since the entire circle
represents 96 birds spotted, and 12 (96) = 8, there were 8
1

more robins than bluebirds. Choice (A) is correct.

7. B
Difficulty: Medium
Strategic Advice: A triangle inscribed in a circle with one
side being a diameter is a right triangle. Use the properties of
right triangles to determine the diameter and the angle at
vertex A. Apply the central angle theorem to find the central
angle that defines arc BC, and use the diameter to calculate
the arc length.
Getting to the Answer: The leg ratios are consistent with
the 1 : √3 : 2 ratio of a 30-60-90 triangle. So the angle at
vertex A is 30°, and the length of diameter AC is 6 × 2 = 12.
Per the central angle theorem, the central angle subtended by
arc BC is twice the inscribed angle subtended by arc BC: 2 ×
30° = 60°. Set up a proportion to find the arc length:
∘

So the length of arc BC is π) π. Choice

60 BC 1
∘ = . (12 = 2
360 πd 6

(B) is correct.

8. C
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: Use the properties of tangents to a circle
and the interior angles of a quadrilateral to calculate the
central angle at O. Use that value and the circumference to
find the arc length.
Getting to the Answer: The tangents create right angles at
their intersection with the radii at B and C. The sum of the
interior angles of quadrilateral ABOC is 360°. Since the
measure of three of the angles is known, the measure of the
central angle is 360° − 90° − 90° − 75° = 105°. Set up a
proportion to determine the arc length: 105
360
=
BC

50
. So, 50 ×

105 = 360 × BC, and BC ≈ 14.6. Choice (C) is correct.

9. C
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: Write the equation for a circle given the x-
coordinate of the center and the radius. Plug in the given
points and solve for the y-coordinate of the center.
Getting to the Answer: The equation for a circle is (x − h)2
+ (y − k)2 = r2, so (x + 2)2 + (y − b)2 = 100. Plug in the point
(6, 9): (6 + 2)2 + (9 − b)2 = 100. So, (9 − b)2 = 100 − 64 =
36. Take the square root of both sides of (9 − b)2 = 36 to get
(9 − b) = ±6. This means that b could be either 3 or 15.
Plug in the point (−8, −5): (−8 + 2)2 + (−5 − b)2 = 100. So,
(−5 − b)2 = 100 − 36 = 64. Thus, (−5 − b) = ±8, which
means that b could be 3 or −13. The common value for b in
the two solutions is 3, so that is the y-coordinate of the
center. Choice (C) is correct.

10. 9
Difficulty: Hard
Strategic Advice: Convert the equation to the standard
format for a circle. The radius of the circle will be the square
root of the constant term on the right side.
Getting to the Answer: Start by distributing the
multiplication to get x2 − 6x = 47 − y2 − l0y. Move the y
terms to the left side: x2 − 6x + y2 + l0y = 47. Look at the
coefficients of the x and y terms to determine the center
coordinates. The −6 coefficient of x means that the x-
coordinate of the center is − 2ab
= −
−6

2(1)
= 3. Similarly, the

y-coefficient of the center is −

10

2(1)
= −5. When squared, you
get 9 and 25, respectively; these become the constants that
are added to complete the square.
Now the equation can be written as (x2 − 6x + 9) + (y2 + l0y
+ 25) = 47 + 9 + 25. Restated in standard format, this
becomes (x − 3)2 + (y + 5)2 = 81. The radius is √ 81 = 9.

Grid in 9.