Circles

6-4 : Learn to find the area and

circumference of circles.

Area and Circumference of Circles

8-3 Learn to find the Circumference of a
(including word problems)
circle.

8-6 Learn to find the area of circles.

The distance around a circle is

Radius called circumference. For
every circle, the ratio of
circumference C to diameter d
Center The diameter d is is the same. This ratio, C , is Radius
Diameter d
twice the radius r. represented by the symbol π,
d = 2r called pi. Pi is approximately
equal to 3.14 or 22 . By
7 Diameter
Circumference multiplying both sides of the
equation C = π by d, you get
d Circumference
The circumference of a circle is the distance the formula for circumference,
around the circle. C = πd, or C = 2πr.

Remember!
Pi (π) is an irrational number that is often
approximated by the rational numbers 3.14
and 22 .
7

1
Additional Example 1: Finding the Circumference of a Try This: Example 1
Circle
Find the circumference of each circle in Find the circumference of each circle in
terms of π. terms of π.

A. Circle with a radius of 4 m A. Circle with a radius of 8 cm

C = 2πr C = 2πr
= 2π(4) = 2π(8)
= 8π m = 16π cm

B. Circle with a diameter of 3.3 ft B. Circle with a diameter of 4.25 in.

C = πd C = πd
= π(3.3) = π(4.25)
= 3.3π ft = 4.25π in

Additional Example 3A: Finding the Circumference Additional Example 3B: Finding the Circumference
of a Circle of a Circle
Find the circumference of the circle to the Find the circumference of the circle to the
nearest tenth. Use 3.14 for π. nearest tenth. Use 3.14 for π.
A. B.
C = πd You know the diameter. C = 2πr You know the radius.
12 in. 18 cm
C ≈ 3.14 · 12 Substitute for π and d. C ≈ 2 · 3.14 · 18 Substitute for π and r.
C ≈ 37.68 Multiply. C ≈ 113.04 Multiply.

The circumference of the circle is about 37.7 in. The circumference of the circle is about 113.0 cm.

Try This: Example 3A Try This: Example 3B

Find the circumference of the circle to the Find the circumference of the circle to the
nearest tenth. Use 3.14 for π. nearest tenth. Use 3.14 for π.
A. B.
C = πd You know the diameter. C = 2πr You know the radius.
7 in. 11 cm
C ≈ 3.14 · 7 Substitute for π and d. C ≈ 2 · 3.14 · 11 Substitute for π and r.
C ≈ 21.98 Multiply. C ≈ 69.08 Multiply.

The circumference of the circle is about 22 in. The circumference of the circle is about 69.1 cm.

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 Additional Example 2: Finding the Area of a Circle

Find the area of each circle in terms of π.

A. Circle with a radius of 4 in.

A = πr2 = π(42)
= 16π in2
d
B. Circle with a diameter of 3.3 m = 1.65
2
A = πr2 = π(1.652)

= 2.7225π m2

Try This: Example 2

A circle can be cut into equal-
Find the area of each circle in terms of π. sized sectors and arranged to
resemble a parallelogram. The
height h of the parallelogram is
A. Circle with a radius of 8 cm
equal to the radius r of the
A = πr2 = π(82)
circle, and the base b of the
= 64π cm2
parallelogram is equal to one-
d
B. Circle with a diameter of 2.2 ft = 1.1 half the circumference C of the circle. So the area of
2
the parallelogram can be written as
A = πr2 = π(1.12)
A = bh, or A = 1 Cr.
2
= 1.21π ft2
Since C = 2πr, A = 1 (2πr)r = πr2.
2

Additional Example 1A: Finding the Area of a Circle

Find the area of the circle to the nearest tenth.

AREA OF A CIRCLE Use 3.14 for π.
The area A of a A. A = πr2 Use the formula.
circle is the 7 cm A ≈ 3.14 · 72
r Substitute 7 for r.
product of π and A = πr2 • A ≈ 3.14 · 49 Evaluate the power.
the square of the
circle’s radius r. A ≈ 153.86 Multiply.
The area of the circle is about 153.9 cm2.
Remember!
The order of operations calls for evaluating the
exponents before multiplying.

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Additional Example 1B: Finding the Area of a Circle Try This: Example 1A

Find the area of the circle to the nearest tenth. Find the area of the circle to the nearest tenth.
Use 3.14 for π. Use 3.14 for π.
B. A = πr2 Use the formula. A. A = πr2 Use the formula.
18 ft A ≈ 3.14 · 92 Substitute 9 for r. 10 cm A ≈ 3.14 · 102 Substitute 10 for r.
A ≈ 3.14 · 81 Evaluate the power. A ≈ 3.14 · 100 Evaluate the power.
A ≈ 254.34 Multiply. A ≈ 314 Multiply.
The area of the circle is about 254.3 ft2. The area of the circle is about 314 cm2.

Additional Example 4: Application

Try This: Example 1B
The diameter of a circular pond is 42 m. What
Find the area of the circle to the nearest tenth. is its circumference? Use 22 for π.
7
Use 3.14 for π.
C = πd You know the diameter.
B. A = πr2 Use the formula.
12 ft C ≈ 22 · 42 Substitute 22 for π and 42 for d.
A ≈ 3.14 · 62 Substitute 6 for r. 7 7

A ≈ 3.14 · 36 Evaluate the power. C ≈ 22 · 42 Write 42 as a fraction.

Multiply. 7 1
A ≈ 113.04
22 · 42 6
C≈ 7 1 Simplify.
The area of the circle is about 113.0 ft2.
1
C ≈ 132 Multiply.
The circumference of the pond is about 132 m.

Try This: Example 4 Additional Example 2: Application

Park employees are fitting a top over a
The diameter of a circular spa is 14 m. What
is its circumference? Use 22 for π. circular drain in the park. If the radius of the
7 drain is 14 inches, what is the area of the top
C = πd You know the diameter. that will cover the drain? Use 22 for π.
7
C ≈ 22 · 14 Substitute 22 for π and 14 for d.
7
A = π r2 Use the formula for the area of a circle.
7 A ≈ 22 ·142 Substitute. Use 14 for r.
C ≈ 22 · 14 Write 14 as a fraction. 7
7 1 28
A ≈ 22 ·196 Evaluate the power.
22 14 2 17
C≈ 7 · 1 Simplify.
1 A ≈ 22 · 28
C ≈ 44 Multiply. A ≈ 616 Multiply.

The circumference of the spa is about 44 m. The area of the top that will cover the drain is about 616 in2.

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 Try This: Example 2 Additional Example 3: Application
A golf course is irrigated with sprinklers that
Albert was designing a cover for a spa. If the spray in a circle. If a sprinkler waters a
radius of the spa is 7 ft, what is the area of circular area with a radius of 25 feet, how
the cover that will be made? Use 22 for π. many square feet does the sprinkler cover?
7
Round your answer to the nearest whole
A = π r2 Use the formula for the area of a circle.
number.
A ≈ 22 ·72 Substitute. Use 7 for r.
7 A = π r2 Use the formula for the area of a circle.
7
A ≈ 22 · 49 Evaluate the power. A= π · 252 Substitute. Use 25 for r.
17
A ≈ 22 · 7 A ≈ 1963.495408 Use a calculator. π × 25 x2
A ≈ 154 Multiply. A ≈ 1,963 Round.
The area of the top that will cover spa is about 154 ft2.
The sprinkler covers about 1,963 ft2.

Try This: Example 3

Janet had a circular fish pond in her back
yard. She wanted to find the surface area of
the pond. If it had a radius of 13 feet, what is
its surface area in square feet? Round your
answer to the nearest whole number.
Additional Example 4: Measurement Application
A Ferris wheel has a diameter of 56 feet
and makes 15 revolutions per ride. How far
would someone travel during a ride? Use 22
7
for π.

A = π r2 Use the formula for the area of a circle. C = πd = π(56) Find the circumference.
A= π · 132 Substitute. Use 13 for r. 22 22
≈
7
(56) ≈ 7 56 ≈ 176 ft
1
A ≈ 530.9216 Use a calculator. π × 13 x2
The distance is the circumference of the
A ≈ 531 Round.
wheel times the number of revolutions, or
The pond has a surface area of about 531 ft2. about 176 • 15 = 2640 ft.

Try This: Example 4

A second hand on a clock is 7 in long. What
is the distance it travels in one hour? Use 22
for π. 7

C = πd = π(14) Find the circumference.

22 22
12
≈ (14) ≈ 7 14 ≈ 44 in.
7 1
9 3
The distance is the circumference of the
clock times the number of revolutions, or
6 about 44 • 60 = 2640 in.