6-1 Circles

Unit 6 Conics
Concepts and Objectives

Circles (Obj. #19)

Identify the equation of a circle.

Write the equation of a circle, given the center and

the radius.

Use the completing the square method to determine
the center and radius of a circle.

Write the equation of a circle, given the center and a
point on the circle.
Circles

The geometric definition of a circle is “the set of all
points in a plane that lie a given distance from a given
point.”

We can use the distance formula to find the distance
between the center and a point:

( x2 − x1 ) + ( y2 − y1 ) = r
2 2
(x, y)
r

( x − h) + ( y − k ) = r
2 2 k
(h, k)

( ) ( )
2 2
x − h + y − k = r 2

h
Circles

Example: Write the equation of a circle with its center at
(1, –2) and radius 3.

Let h = 1, k = –2, and r = 3. Therefore, the equation for

the circle is
( x − 1) + ( y − ( −2) ) = 32
2 2

( ) ( ) =9
2 2
x − 1 + y + 2
Graphing Circles

To graph a circle on graph paper, plot the center point
and count out the radius. Open the compass to that
point and draw the circle.

Example: Graph ( x − 3) + ( y − 4 ) = 9
2 2

Center: (3, 4),

radius = 9 = 3
Graphing Circles

To graph the circle on your calculator, you will need to
solve for y:

Graph ( x − 3) + ( y − 4 ) = 9
2 2

( y − 4 ) = 9 − ( x − 3)
2 2

y − 4 = 9 − ( x − 3)
2

y = 9 − ( x − 3) + 4
2

Since you can only graph functions, you will also need to
enter the negative of this for the lower half of the circle.
Graphing Circles
Enter y = 9 − ( x − 3) + 4
2

Enter y = − 9 − ( x − 3) + 4
2

Change the q setting to “square”

The calculator may show a gap, but

that’s okay.
General Form of a Circle

Suppose we took the center-radius equation and
expanded the binomials , and set everything equal to 0:
( ) ( )
2 2
x − h + y − k = r 2

x 2 − 2hx + h2 + y 2 − 2ky + k 2 − r 2 = 0
( )
x 2 + y 2 + ( −2h) x + ( −2k ) y + h2 + k 2 − r 2 = 0
If we let c = –2h, d = –2k, and e = h2 + k2 – r2, we have
x 2 + y 2 + cx + dy + e = 0
General Form of a Circle

To get from the general equation back to the center-
radius form (so we can know the center and the radius),
we complete the square for both x and y.

Example: What is the center and radius of the circle

whose equation is
x 2 + y 2 + 4 x − 8 y − 44 = 0
General Form of a Circle

Example: What is the center and radius of the circle
whose equation is
x 2 + y 2 + 4 x − 8 y − 44 = 0
( ) ( )
x 2 + 4 x + y 2 − 8 y = 44
 2 4
2
  8 
2

 x + 4 x +    +  y − 8 y +    = 44 + 4 + 16
2

 2   2 
( ) ( )
x 2 + 4 x + 22 + y 2 − 8 y + 42 = 64
( x + 2) + ( y − 4 ) = 82
2 2

The center is at (–2, 4), and the radius is 8.

General Form of a Circle

Example: What is the center and radius of the circle
whose equation is
2x 2 + 2 y 2 − 2x + 6 y − 45 = 0
General Form of a Circle
In order to complete the
square, the coefficients of
the

square term must
Example: be 1.is the center and radius of the circle
What
whose equation is
2x 2 + 2 y 2 − 2x + 6 y − 45 = 0 Don’t forget
( ) ( )
2 x 2 − x + 2 y 2 + 3 y = 45 to distribute!

 2  
1
2
    
3
2
1 9
2 x − x +    + 2 y + 3 y +    = 45 + +
2
  2     2   2 2

2 2
 1  3
2 x −  + 2 y +  = 50
 2  2
General Form of a Circle

Example (cont.):
2 2
 1  3
2 x −  + 2 y +  = 50
 2  2 Divide through
by 2.
2 2
 1  3
 x −  +  y +  = 25
 2  2

1 3
The center is at  , −  , and the radius is 5.
2 2
Characteristics of r2

When we convert from the general form to the center-
radius form, the constant on the right-hand side tells us
some basic information.

If r2 is > 0 (positive), the graph of the equation is a
circle with radius r.

If r2 is equal to 0, the graph of the equation is a single
point (h, k).

If r2 is < 0 (negative), then no real points will satisfy
the equation, and a graph does not exist.
Characteristics

Example: The graph of the equation
x 2 + y 2 − 8 x + 2 y + 24 = 0
is either a point or is nonexistent. Which is it?
 2 8
2
  2 
2

 x − 8 x +    +  y + 2 y +    = −24 + 16 + 1
2

 2   2 
( ) ( )
x 2 − 8 x + 42 + y 2 + 2 y + 12 = −7
( x − 4 ) + ( y + 1) = −7
2 2

Since r2 is negative, the graph is nonexistent.

Writing the Equation of a Circle
We can now tell that the equation
( x − 2 ) + ( y − 3)
2 2
= 16
is a circle with a center at (2, 3) and a radius of 4.

Suppose I wanted to know whether (6, 3) was on the
circle. How could I find out?

In order to be on the circle, the point must satisfy the
equation. That is, if we plug in 6 for x and 3 for y, and
we get 16, the point is on the circle.
( 6 − 2 ) + ( 3 − 3)
2 2
= 16?
16 = 16
Writing the Equation of a Circle

We can use this idea to write the equation of a circle
given the center and a point on the circle.

Example: Write the equation of the circle with center at

(4, –5) that contains the point (–2, 3).
Writing the Equation of a Circle

Example: Write the equation of the circle with center at
(–4, 5) that contains the point (–2, 3).

( x + 4 ) + ( y − 5) = r 2
2 2

( ) ( )
2 2
− 2 + 4 + 3 − 5 = r 2

8 = r2
Therefore, the equation of the circle is
( x + 4 ) + ( y − 5)
2 2
=8
Don’t square the
8—it’s already
squared!
Circular Inequalities

Circular inequalities are fairly straightforward. For the
center-radius form of the circle, the graph will be

The region inside the circle if the symbol is “<” or “≤”

The region outside the circle if the symbol is “>” or “≥”

As with lines, < or > is graphed with a dotted line and

≤ or ≥ is graphed with a solid line.

< ≥
Homework

College Algebra (brown book)

Page 199: 21-30 (×3s)

Turn in: 21, 24

Algebra & Trigonometry (green book)

Page 466: 2-18 (even)

Turn in: 4, 6, 12, 14