In this explainer, we will learn how to find the equation of a circle using its center and a given point or the radius and vice versa.
How To: Describing a Circle Mathematically
Mathematically, a circle can be described as the locus of points equidistant from a given point, called the circleβs center. It means that the circle is the set of all the points, and only those, that are at a given distance from the center of the circle. This fixed distance between any point of the circle and its center is the radius of the circle.
Note that a circle is not the graph of a function since one element of the domain can be associated with two elements of its range. In other words, we can find two points on the circle that have the same -coordinate.
However, there exists a relationship between the - and -coordinates of all the points on the circle: this is the equation of a circle.
Equation of a Circle Centered at the Origin in Center-Radius Form
Letβs start with a circle centered at the origin of the coordinate plane. This circle is the locus of points equidistant from the origin. The distance from any point on the circle to the origin is the circle radius, . The relationship between the - and -coordinates of all the points on the circle is then given by applying the Pythagorean theorem in the right triangle shown in the diagram below, where the hypotenuse is a radius of the circle.
We find
The absolute values can be removed since they are squared (, whatever the sign of ). Therefore,
This is the equation of a circle of radius centered at the origin.
We will now find the equation of any circle.
Equation of a Circle of Radius π Centered at πΆ(β,π) in Center-Radius Form
The circle of radius centered at represents the locus of points equidistant from point . Any point on the circle is at a distance from the center .
We apply the Pythagorean theorem in the right triangle shown in the diagram below, where the hypotenuse is a radius of the circle.
We find which can be rewritten as
This is true for any point on the circle, so the equation of a circle of radius centered at , which describes the relationship between the - and -coordinates of all the points on the circle, can be written as
Note that the general equation of a circle can also be derived from the equation of a circle of radius centered at the origin by translating the circle units horizontally and units vertically, that is, by vector .
The equation of the circle given above is written in the so-called center-radius form. The equation of a circle can be written in another form, called the general form. This form is obtained simply by expanding the brackets in the equation in center-radius form.
Equation of a Circle in General Form
The equation of a circle of radius centered at is . By expanding the brackets, we get This can be rewritten as
Let be , be , and be ; we get
This is the equation of a circle in general form.
Example 1: Writing the Equation of a Circle Given Its Center
Write, in the form , the equation of the circle of radius 10 and center .
Answer
We start by writing the equation of a circle:
The radius is 10 and the center coordinates are and , so this gives us
This is the equation of the circle of radius 10 and center in center-radius form.
However, we are asked to give it in the form .
We need to expand the brackets, and then take away 100 from each side, and collect like terms:
Example 2: Writing the Equation of a Circle Given Its Center
In the figure below, find the equation of the circle.
Answer
In this example, we need to use the graph to identify the centerβs coordinates and the radius of the circle.
The circle centerβs coordinates are .
To find the radius, we can, for instance, work out the difference in the -coordinates of the highest point and the center, , or the difference in the -coordinates of the furthest point to the right and the center: . So .
We plug the values of , , and in and find .
Example 3: Writing the Equation of a Circle Given Its Center
Determine the equation of a circle that passes through the point if its center is .
Answer
We start by writing the general equation of a circle:
We know that point is the center of the circle, so and . We then plug in these values in the equation, and we get
We do not know the radius, but we know that point is on the circle, so its coordinates and must satisfy the equation of the circle. We can, therefore, substitute and in the equation with these values to find :
The equation of the circle is finally
How To: Finding the Center Coordinates and the Radius from the Equation in the CenterβRadius Form
Given the equation of a circle in the form , the center coordinates are and the radius is .
Example 4: Finding the Center Coordinates and the Radius of a Circle from Its Equation in Center-Radius Form
Find the center and radius of the circle .
Answer
- We need to rearrange the equation in the form . We get .
- By comparing the given equation with , we find that , , and .
- The center coordinates are and the radius is .
How To: Finding the Center Coordinates and the Radius from the Equation in the General Form
When the equation of a circle is given in the general form , the equation should be rewritten in the form by completing the square for and .
This gives , which allows the identification of the center and radius of the circle.
Example 5: Finding the Center Coordinates and the Radius of a Circle from Its Equation in Standard Form
By completing the square, find the center and radius of the circle .
Answer
- We need to rearrange the equation in the form by completing the square.
- We find and .
- By substituting these in the original equation, we get .
- By rearranging in the form , we find .
- We find that , , and .
- The center coordinates are and the radius is .