Circle

A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry that is the set of all points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius. It can also be defined as the locus of a point equidistant from a fixed point. A circle is a simple closed curve which divides the plane into two regions: an interior and an exterior. In everyday use, the term "circle" may be used interchangeably to refer to either the boundary of the figure, or to the whole figure including its interior; in strict technical usage, the circle is the former and the latter is called a disk. A circle can be defined as the curve traced out by a point that moves so that its distance from a given point is constant. A circle may also be defined as a special ellipse in which the two foci are coincident and the eccentricity is 0. Circles are conic sections attained when a right circular cone is intersected by a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cone.

Parts of a circle

The radius of the circle is a straight line drawn from the center to the boundary line or the circumference. The plural of the word radius is radii. The diameter is the line crossing the circle and passing through the center. It is the twice of the length of the radius. The circumference of a circle is the boundary line or the perimeter of the circle. The chord is a straight line joining two points on the circumference points of a circle. The diameter is a special kind of the chord passing through the center. An arc is a part of the circumference between two points or a continuous piece of a circle. The shorter arc between and is called the minor arc . The longer arc between and is called the major arc . A semi-circle is an arc which is half of the circumference. A tangent is a straight line which touches the circle. It does not cut the circumference. The point at which it touches, is called the point of contact.