Ceative Bittish School Departmetn of Mathematics

Angles Properties in Circles

Learning Objectives

The students should be able to:

 recognize various parts of a circle.

 state the properties of chords of a circle.

 state and apply the property of angles at the centre.

 state and apply the property of angles in the same segment.

 recognize the property of angles in a semi-circle.

 explain the meaning of the concyclic points.

 state the properties of angles in a cyclic quadrilateral.

 state the definition of a tangent to a circle.

 recognize the properties of the tangents to a circle.

 state and apply the alternate segment theorem.

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 Ceative Bittish School Departmetn of Mathematics

Circles

1. Parts of a circle

A circle is a closed curve in a plane such that all points on the

curve are equidistant from a fixed point.
centre

The given distance is called the radius of the circle.

radius

A chord is a line segment with its end points on the circle and a
diameter is a chord passing through the centre. chord

diameter

major arc
An arc is a part of the circle.

A segment is the region bounded by a chord and an arc of the

circle. major segment

minor segment

minor arc

A sector is the region bounded by two radii and an arc.

sector

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2. Chords of a circle

Following are properties on chords of a circle. All these facts can be proved by the properties of
congruent triangles.

Theorem Example
O is the centre of the circle. Find the unknown in
Theorem 1 each of the following figures.

The line joining the centre to the midpoint of a 1.1

chord is perpendicular to the chord.

i.e. If OOM  AB x = ________

then MA = MB
x 4 cm
P M Q

O 1.2

O
M B
x =_________
A

x
Q
Ref.:
P line fromNcentre  chord bisects chord

Theorem 2 S 1.3

The line joining the centre of a circle and the

mid-point of a chord is perpendicular to the
chord.
6 cm
i.e. If MA = MB
r = ______
P then OM  AB Q

1.4

O
O
x2 =_________
3 cm x
A M B
P
M Q
x= _________
Ref.: line 8joining
cm centre to mid-pt. of chord 
chord

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Theorem Example 2

Theorem 3 O is the centre of the circle. Find the unknown(s)

in each of the following figures.
Equal chords are equidistant from the centre of a
circle.
4 cm
2.1
i.e. If AB = QCD,
M
Pthen OM = ON
2 cm
M O B

RA x cm x = __________
N
O S
4 cmF
C
N
D 2.2

R
Ref.: equal chords, equidistant from center
2cm O
2 cm Q

5 cm P
Theorem 4
S y cm
Chords which are equidistant from the centre of a y = __________
circle are equal.

i.e. If OM = ON,
then AB = CD 2.3

5 cm
M QB
A
z 5 cm
w cm O
P 3 cm
O
C
N R
D

Ref.: chords equidistant from centre are eqaul w = __________ z = __________

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3. Angles in a circle
C

As shown in the figure, AOB is the angle at the centre subtended by the arc ACB.
O

O
A B
A B
C

D
ADB is the angle at the D
circumference subtended by the B
arc ACB
A
A
B
C
C

D D
ADB is also called the
angle in the segment ADB. B

A
B C
C

Example 3.1
In each of the following figures, find the angles marked:-
b) C
a) B

x 67
O O

78 A y
A B

C
Solution

Theorema) OA = OB b) Example 4 product to D

Join CO and
From a), y =

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Q
Theorem 5 (Angle at the centre theorem) 4.1

40
P

The angle that an arc of a circle subtends at the

x
centre is twice the angle that it subtends at any
point on the remaining part of the circumference.

R
x = ______
i.e.
If O is the centre of the circle,
then AOB = 2ACB
Q

4.2
C
R
210

O
P

4.3
P A Q
D
B
110
O R
Ref.:  at centre twice  at ⊙ce

Q
4.4

O
P R
180

C
4.5

O C

x
A 92

Theorem Example 5

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3
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O is the centre of the circle. Find the unknown(s)

Theorem 6 (Angles in a semi-circle theorem) in each of the following figures.

The angle in a semi-circle is a right angle.

5.1
i.e. If AB is a diameter,
then ACB=90.
O

C
x
84 x = __________

A B
O

5.2
Ref.:  in semi-circle
x

3946
O

Theorem 7 (Angle in the same segment theorem) x = __________

y

Angles in the same segment of a circle are equal.

y = __________
i.e. If ADB and ACB are
in the same segment ABDC,

then ADB = ACB

5.3
C D

x O
O
38 y 20

A B

x =

Ref.: s in the same segment

y =

4. Cyclic quadrilaterals

4.1 Concyclic points

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Points are concyclic if they all lie on a circle, i.e. a circle can be drawn to pass through all of
them.

An infinite number of circles can be drawn to pass through any two points.

If three points are not collinear, then one and only one circle can be drawn to pass through
them.

If four points are concyclic, a circle can be drawn, but if they are not concyclic, no circle can
be drawn to pass through all of them.

concyclic points non-concyclic points

4.2 Cyclic quadrilateral

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 Ceative Bittish School Departmetn of Mathematics

There are two important facts about a cyclic quadrilateral:

i) A quadrilateral is called cyclic if a circle can be drawn to pass through all the four
vertices.
ii) All triangles are cyclic, but it is not true for quadrilateral..

Theorem Example 6

Theorem 8
O is the centre of the circle. Find the unknown(s)
The opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are
supplementary. in each of the following figures
i.e. If P, Q, R, S are concyclic,
6.1then P + R = 180,
y
and S + Q = 180
O
85 Q
x
P
110
x = __________
y = __________
R
S
6.2
Ref.: opp. s , cyclic quad.
y

Theorem 9
70

x = is__________
If one side of a cyclic quadrilateral extended,
y = __________
the exterior angle equals the interior opposite
angle.

i.e. If PQRS is a cyclic quadrilateral

and PS is extended to T,
6.3
then RSTx = PQR.
120
Q O R

y
82

x = __________
P S Ty = __________

Ref.: ext.  , cyclic quad.

5. Tangents to a circle

5.1. Definition of a tangent to a circle

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Figure 5.1 shows the three possibilities that a straight line

(i) does not intersect a circle;
(ii) intersects a circle at two points;
(iii) touches a circle (i.e. intersects at one and only point).

Fig. 5.1 (i) (ii) (iii)

When a straight line touches a circle, it is called a tangent to the circle at that point. The following
theorem states a basic property of a tangent to a circle.

Theorem 10 Example 7
AB is the tangent to the circle at T. Find the
unknown
7.1 tangent to a circle at a point is perpendicular
The
to the radiusOat that point.

i.e. If TAB25
is a tangent at A,
then OA  aTA
A B
T

O 7.2 OTC =
C
70

T B c
A
A B
T
Ref.: tangent  radius
7.3
OC = OT
O
C
46

b
A T B

5.2. Tangents from an external point to a circle

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Theorem 11 Example 8

TA and TB are tangents to the circle at points A

If two tangents are drawn to a circle from an and B respectively. Find the unknowns.
external point,
a)
8.1 the tangents are equal;
b) the tangents subtend equal angles at the
A
centre;
5 cm
c) the line joining the external point to the TA = a
O b
centre bisects the angle between the 30 T =
tangents. b=
a
B

i.e. If TA, TB are tangents from T,

8.2 then TA = TB; and
TOA = TOB; and
ATO = BTO
O

TA = TB
c=
B

A
c
42

d=
d

O
T

T
B
8.3
240

A
O
x

Ref.: tangent properties TOB =

B

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5.3. Alternate Segment Theorem

Theorem 12 (Alternate segment theorem) Example 9

TB is a tangent to the circle at points A. Find the
The angles between a tangent and a chord unknowns in each of the following figures.
through the point of contact are equal
respectively to the angles in the alternate
9.1
segment.
46 50 a =________
i.e. If O is a tangent at A,
TAB
then a TAD = ACD; and b = _______
b
T BAC = ADC
B
A

9.2
D
c
O C c =________
O
d
d = _______
T 45 B
T  A
A B
9.3

Ref.:  in alt. Segment

T

y =
35

y
A
O

x
B
T

9.4

Z=
A
O
30
z

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