Obj.

27 Circles
Unit 7 Conics

Concepts and Objectives

Circles (Obj. #27) 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 ( x h) + ( y k ) = r
x h) + ( y k ) = r 2 (
2 2
2 2

(x, y) r k (h, k)

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 x 1 ) + ( y + 2) = 9 (

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 Center: (3, 4), radius = 9 = 3
2 2

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)

y 4 = 9 ( x 3)

y = 9 ( x 3) + 4

You will need to graph both plus and minus versions in order to graph the full circle.

Graphing Circles
Enter y = 9 ( x 3) + 4 Enter y = 9 ( x 3) + 4 Change the q setting to square The calculator may show a gap, but thats okay.
2 2

General Form of a Circle

To get from the general equation back to the centerradius 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 + 4 x + 2 ) + ( y 8 y + 4 ) = 44 + 4 + 16
x 2 + 4 x + y 2 8 y = 44
2 2 2 2

) (
2 2

( x + 2) + ( y 4 ) = 64

( x + 2) + ( y 4 )

= 82

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

General Form of a Circle

In order to complete the square, the coefficients of the square term must be 1. the center and radius of the circle Example: What is

whose equation is

2x 2 + 2 y 2 2x + 6 y 45 = 0
2 x 2 x + 2 y 2 + 3 y = 45

) (

Dont forget to distribute!

2 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 1 3 2 x x + + 2 y + 3 y + = 45 + 2 + 2 2 2 2 2

1 3 2 x + 2 y + = 50 2 2

General Form of a Circle

Example (cont.):
1 3 2 x + 2 y + = 50 2 2 1 3 x 2 + y + 2 = 25
2 2 2 2

Divide through by 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 centerradius 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?

(x

8 x + 42 ) + ( y 2 + 2 y + 12 ) = 24 + 16 + 1

x 2 8 x + 42 + y 2 + 2 y + 12 = 7

) (

( x 4 ) + ( y + 1) = 7
Since r2 is negative, the graph is nonexistent.

Writing the Equation of a Circle

We can now tell that the equation
= 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.

( x 2 ) + ( y 3)

( 6 2) + (3 3)
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 + 4 ) + (3 5) = r 2 (
8 = r2

Therefore, the equation of the circle is

( x + 4 ) + ( y 5)

=8

Dont square the 8its 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.

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Homework
College Algebra Page 199: 21-30 (3s), 42 HW: 199: 21-30 (3s), 42 Classwork: Algebra & Trigonometry (green book) Page 466: 1, 3, 5, 13 (only graph #5)