SAT Math : Circles

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

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Example Question #31 : How To Find The Equation Of A Circle

Circle a

The provided figure shows a circle on the coordinate axes with its center at the origin.  is a  arc with length 

Give the equation of the circle.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 arc of a circle represents  of the circle, so the length of the arc is one-eighth its circumference - or, equivalently, the circumference is the length  multiplied by 8. Therefore, the circumference is 

The equation of a circle on the coordinate plane is 

,

where  are the coordinates of the center and  is the radius. 

The radius of a circle can be determined by dividing its circumference by , so 

 

The center of the circle is , so . Substituting 0, 0, and 3  for , and , respectively, the equation of the circle becomes

,

or

.

Example Question #251 : Coordinate Geometry

Circle a

The provided figure shows a circle on the coordinate axes with its center at the origin. The shaded region has area .

Give the equation of the circle.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The shaded region, a  sector of the circle, represents  of the circle, so the area of the entire circle is six times the area of that region:

.

The equation of a circle on the coordinate plane is 

,

where  are the coordinates of the center and  is the radius. 

The formula for the area  of a circle, given its radius , is 

.

Set  and solve for :

The center of the circle is , so . Substituting 0, 0, and 80 for , and , respectively, the equation of the circle becomes

or

Example Question #641 : Geometry

Circle a

The provided figure shows a circle on the coordinate axes with its center at the origin. The shaded region has an area of .

Give the equation of the circle.

Possible Answers:

Cannot be determined

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The shaded region represents one fourth of the circle, so the area of the entire circle is four times the area of that region:

.

The equation of a circle on the coordinate plane is 

,

where  are the coordinates of the center and  is the radius. 

The formula for the area  of a circle, given its radius , is 

.

Set  and solve for :

The center of the circle is , so . Substituting 0, 0, and 80 for , and , respectively, the equation of the circle becomes

,

or

Example Question #31 : Circles

A circle is centered on point .  The area of the circle is . What is the equation of the circle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for a circle is 

 is the coordinate of the center of the circle, therefore  and .

The area of a circle:  

Therefore:

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Equation Of A Circle

A circle has a center at (5,5) and a radius of 2. If the format of the equation for the circle is (x-A)2+(y-B)2=C, what is C?

Possible Answers:

4

5

2

3

1

Correct answer:

4

Explanation:

The circle has a center at (5,5) and a radius of 2. Therefore, the equation is (x-5)2+(y-5)2=22, or (x-5)2+(y-5)2=4. 

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