Chapter 9

Circle Basics

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Defining radii, chords, and arcs

Bullet Theorizing about the angle-arc theorems

Bullet Practicing products with the power theorems

In a sense, the circle is the simplest of all shapes: no corners, no irregularities, the same simple shape no matter how you turn it. On the other hand, that simple curve involves the number pi math, and nothing’s simple about that. It goes on forever with no repeating pattern of digits. Despite the fact that mathematicians have been studying the circle and the number math for over 2,000 years, many unsolved mysteries about them remain. Let’s get started looking at this fascinating shape.

Radii, Chords, and Diameters

Why don’t we begin with the three main types of line segments inside a circle: radii, chords, and diameters:

  • Radius: A circle’s radius is the distance from its center to a point on the circle. In addition to being a measure of distance, a radius is also a segment that goes from a circle’s center to a point on the circle. ...

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