Introduction

• This Chapter focuses on using ‘Radians’ when

answering questions involving circles

• Radians are an alternative to degrees

• Radians are quicker to use than degrees (when

you get used to them)

• They also allow extra calculations which would

be much more difficult to do using degrees
instead…
 Radian measure and its
Applications
You can measure angles in Radians
A
r
Radians are an alternative to degrees.
Some calculations involving circles are O 1c r
easier when Radians are used, as r
opposed to degrees.
B

‘If arc AB has length r, then angle AOB

is 1 radian (1c or 1 rad)’

Arc Length r  1c Multiply by 2π

Arc Length 2 r  2
c
2πr is the
circumference
360  2 c
÷2
180  
 c

180 c ÷π
1
 6A
 Radian measure and its
Applications
You can measure angles in Radians Convert the following
angle to degrees

You need to be able to convert between 7

degrees and radians. rad
Multiply by 8
Radians  Degrees 180
/π
7 180

c 180 8 
1  Top x Top,
 Bottom x Bottom 1260
8
Cancel out π
Multiply
by 180/π 1260
Work out 8
the sum
157.5

6A
 Radian measure and its
Applications
You can measure angles in Radians Convert the following
angle to degrees

You need to be able to convert between 4

degrees and radians. rad
Multiply by 15
Radians  Degrees 180
/π
4 180

c 180 15 
1  Top x Top,
 Bottom x Bottom 720
15
Cancel out π
Multiply
by 180/π 720
Work out 15
the sum
48

6A
 Radian measure and its
Applications
You can measure angles in Radians Convert the following
angle to radians

You need to be able to convert between

degrees and radians. 150
Multiply by
Degrees  Radians π
/180 
150 
c 180 180
1  Only multiply the
 top here 150
180
Simplify
Divide
by 180/π 5
rad
6
Multiply
by π/180

6A
 Radian measure and its
Applications
You can measure angles in Radians Convert the following
angle to radians

You need to be able to convert between

degrees and radians. 110
Multiply by
Degrees  Radians π
/180 
110 
c 180 180
1  Only multiply the
 top here 110
180
Simplify
Divide
by 180/π 11
rad
18
Multiply
by π/180

6A
 Radian measure and its
Applications
Finding the length of an arc is
easier when you use radians
r
Length of Arc Angle at Centre θ l
=
Circumference Total Angle at Centre
r
l 
=
2 r 2 Multiply
by 2π
l
= 
r
Multiply
by r
l = r

(The angle must be in radians!)

6B
 Radian measure and its
Applications
Finding the length of an arc is
easier when you use radians

Find the length of the arc of a

circle of radius 5.2cm. The arc
subtends an angle of 0.8c at the
centre of the circle.

l = r

l = 5.2  0.8

l = 4.16cm

6B
 Radian measure and its
Applications
Finding the length of an arc is
easier when you use radians Length AB = rθ

Arc AB of a circle, with centre O P  r  2r

and radius r, subtends an angle of Factorise
θ radians at O. The Perimeter of P  r (  2)
sector AOB is P cm. Express r in
Divide by
terms of P and θ.
(θ + 2) P
 r
A (  2)
r

O θ rθ

r
B

6B
 Radian measure and its
Applications Calculator
in Radians
Finding the length of an arc is opp O
sin x  (H)
easier when you use radians hyp
1.2 2m x
sin x 
2
The border of a garden pond consists
of a straight edge AB of length 2.4m, sin x  0.6 A B
Inverse sine 1.2m
and a curved part C, as shown in the x  0.6435rad (O)
diagram below. The curved part is an Double for
arc of a circle, centre O and radius 2m. angle AOB 2 x  1.287 rad
Find the length of C.
C
Angle θ = 2π – 1.287
Angle θ = 4.996 rad
θ c
4.996
l  r
2m O 2m
1.287c l  2  4.996
A B l  9.99m
2.4m
(We need to work out angle θ) 6B
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment
can be worked out using Radians Area of Sector Angle at Centre
=
Total Area Total Angle

X 
A =
 r2 2
Multiply by π
O θ X X 
=
r2 2
Multiply by r2
 r2
B X =
2
1 2
X = r
2
This is the formula’s
usual form

6C
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment 1 2
can be worked out using Radians A r
Put the
2
In the diagram, the area of the minor numbers in
1 2
sector AOB is 28.9cm2. Given that 28.9  r (0.8)
angle AOB is 0.8 rad, calculate the ½ x 0.8 =
2
value of r. 0.4
28.9  0.4r 2
A Divide by
r cm 0.4
72.25  r 2
0.8c
O
B Square root
8.5cm  r

6C
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment The length of the arc
can be worked out using Radians must be 66m (adds up
to 176 total)

A plot of land is in the shape of a Put the l  r

sector of a circle of radius 55m. The numbers in
length of fencing that is needed to 66  55
Divide by 55
enclose the land is 176m. Calculate the 1.2c  
area of the plot of land.

A 1 2
A r 
55m 2
Put the
numbers in
66m 1.2θc O 1
A   552  
2
55m
B A  1815 m 2
(We need to work out the angle first)
6C
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment Area of a Segment
can be worked out using Radians Area of Sector AOB – Area of Triangle AOB
Area of Sector AOB
You can also work out the area of a 1 2
segment using radians. A r
2
Area of Triangle AOB
1
A ab sin C
a=b=r 2
C=θ 1
O A  r 2 sin 
2
r r
θ Area of the Segment

A 1 2 1 2
B r   r sin 
2 2
Factorise
1 2
r (  sin  )
2
6C
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment
can be worked out using Radians 1 2
r (  sin  )
2
Substitute the
Calculate the Area of the segment shown in numbers in
1 2 
the diagram below. 2.5   sin 
2 3 3
Work the
parts out

3.125  0.1811...
Only round the
O final answer

π 2.5cm 0.57 cm 2
3

6C
 Radian measure and its
Applications
The Area of a Sector and Segment Area of the shaded segment
can be worked out using Radians 1 2
r   sin  
2

In the diagram AB is the diameter of a Area of triangle AOC

circle of radius r cm, and angle BOC = θ 1
ab sin C
radians. Given that the Area of triangle a=b=r 2
AOC is 3 times that of the shaded Angle = π-θ 1 2
segment, show that 3θ – 4sinθ = 0. r sin(   )
2
Remember, sin x = sin (180 – x)
C 1 2
r sin 
2

θ AOC = 3 x 1 2 1
r sin   3  r 2   sin  
A 0 B shaded segment 2 2
Cancel out 1/2r2
sin   3   sin  
Multiply out the
brackets
sin   3  3sin 
Subtract sinθ
0  3  4sin  6C
 Summary
• We have learnt how to change from
degrees to radians

• We have seen how to do calculations to

work out the length of an arc

• We have also seen formulae for the

Area or a sector and segment