Circle
A cell phone tower in Santiago covers a radius of $5$ km. If you place it on a plane, how can you tell, with a calculation, whether a corner store at a certain distance gets a signal or is left out? For that, the circle needs an equation. With it you will solve problems involving points, lines, and other circles.
The standard equation
Move the controls and watch how the center and the radius change.
If the center is the origin, $h = k = 0$ and the equation becomes $x^2+y^2=r^2$.
Write the equation of the circle describing the coverage area of a Wi-Fi antenna, knowing that the antenna is located at point $(2, -3)$ on a Cartesian plane (measured…
Write the equation of the circle describing the coverage area of a Wi-Fi antenna, knowing that the antenna is located at point $(2, -3)$ on a Cartesian plane (measured in kilometers) and has a maximum range of $5$ km.
Determine the coordinates of the center and the length of the radius of the circular area watered by an agricultural sprinkler whose boundary is given by the equation…
Determine the coordinates of the center and the length of the radius of the circular area watered by an agricultural sprinkler whose boundary is given by the equation $(x-4)^2+(y+1)^2=36$.
Finding the equation from a diameter or from tangents
You always need two things: the center and the radius. Depending on the data in the problem, you get them like this:
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Center and a point on the circle: $r$ is the distance between them.
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Endpoints of a diameter: the center is the midpoint and the radius is the distance from the center to an endpoint.
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Tangent to the axes: if the center is in the first quadrant and the circle touches both axes, then $h=k=r$.
Find the equation of the circle representing the sweep of a ship's radar. It is known that the radar is positioned at coordinates $(-1, 4)$ and that at the exact edge of…
Find the equation of the circle representing the sweep of a ship's radar. It is known that the radar is positioned at coordinates $(-1, 4)$ and that at the exact edge of its screen it detects a buoy located at point $(2, 0)$.
Write the equation of the circle bounding a roundabout, given that the endpoints of one of its diameters (where two opposite pedestrian crossings are located) correspond…
Write the equation of the circle bounding a roundabout, given that the endpoints of one of its diameters (where two opposite pedestrian crossings are located) correspond to the points $(1, 2)$ and $(7, -6)$.
Write the equation of the circle describing the chassis of a robot vacuum cleaner of radius $15$ cm when it is wedged exactly into the corner of a room. Consider that…
Write the equation of the circle describing the chassis of a robot vacuum cleaner of radius $15$ cm when it is wedged exactly into the corner of a room. Consider that the walls coincide with the positive semi-axes of coordinates (quadrant I) and the robot is tangent to both walls.
The general equation
If you expand the parentheses in the standard equation, you get a form with no parentheses.
To go back to the standard form there are two ways:
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Formulas: center $C\left(-\dfrac{D}{2}, -\dfrac{E}{2}\right)$ and radius $r=\sqrt{\left(\dfrac{D}{2}\right)^2+\left(\dfrac{E}{2}\right)^2-F}$.
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Completing the square: group the terms in $x$ and in $y$ and complete each trinomial.
Find the center and radius of the circle describing the outer edge of a gear in a computer-aided design blueprint, whose general equation is $x^2+y^2-6x+8y=0$.
Find the center and radius of the circle describing the outer edge of a gear in a computer-aided design blueprint, whose general equation is $x^2+y^2-6x+8y=0$.
Determine whether the equation $2x^2+2y^2+4x-8y+20=0$ mathematically represents a valid circle in a video game physics engine. Justify your answer by calculating its…
Determine whether the equation $2x^2+2y^2+4x-8y+20=0$ mathematically represents a valid circle in a video game physics engine. Justify your answer by calculating its center and the value of its radius squared.
Determine the equation of the circle defining the outer lane of a running track, given that it is concentric to the inner lane circle $x^2+y^2-10x+4y+13=0$ and passes…
Determine the equation of the circle defining the outer lane of a running track, given that it is concentric to the inner lane circle $x^2+y^2-10x+4y+13=0$ and passes through the starting position located at $(1, 1)$.
A circle through three points and other conditions
When the problem does not give the center, use the general equation $x^2+y^2+Dx+Ey+F=0$ with three unknowns. Each point on the circle gives a linear equation in $D$, $E$, and $F$.
Two other common conditions:
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Tangent to a line with a given center: the radius is the distance from the center to the line, $r=\dfrac{|Ah+Bk+C|}{\sqrt{A^2+B^2}}$.
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Center on a line: the center $(h, k)$ satisfies the equation of that line, and it is also at equal distance from the points the circle passes through.
Find the equation of the circle that reconstructs the rim of an ancient ceramic vessel found in an archaeological excavation. Restorers have measured three intact points…
Find the equation of the circle that reconstructs the rim of an ancient ceramic vessel found in an archaeological excavation. Restorers have measured three intact points on the rim, which in a coordinate axis system correspond to $(0, 0)$, $(4, 0)$ and $(0, 3)$.
Write the equation of the circle representing a pulley whose axis of rotation is fixed at the point $(3, -2)$ and which is in tangential contact with a drive belt whose…
Write the equation of the circle representing a pulley whose axis of rotation is fixed at the point $(3, -2)$ and which is in tangential contact with a drive belt whose line of action is the line $4x-3y+2=0$.
Calculate the equation of the circle outlining the main structure of a Ferris wheel. It is known that the central axis of rotation rests on an inclined pillar…
Calculate the equation of the circle outlining the main structure of a Ferris wheel. It is known that the central axis of rotation rests on an inclined pillar represented by the line $x+y-4=0$ and that the cabins pass through the boarding platforms located at the points $(2, 0)$ and $(0, 2)$.
Position of a point
A point $P$ can be inside, on, or outside the circle. It is enough to compare $d(P, C)$ with $r$, or equivalently, to evaluate $(x_P-h)^2+(y_P-k)^2$ and compare it with $r^2$:
| Result | Position of $P$ |
|---|---|
| $(xP-h)^2+(yP-k)^2 < r^2$ | inside |
| $(x_P-h)^2+(y_P-k)^2 = r^2$ | on the circle |
| $(x_P-h)^2+(y_P-k)^2 > r^2$ | outside |
A seismograph detects that the epicentre of an earthquake is located at the origin of coordinates and that the seismic wave has reached an exact radius of $10$ km. Check…
A seismograph detects that the epicentre of an earthquake is located at the origin of coordinates and that the seismic wave has reached an exact radius of $10$ km. Check analytically whether a weather station located at point $(6, -8)$ felt the earthquake or if it is on the exact boundary of the wave.
Line and circle
A line relative to a circle can be secant (two points in common), tangent (only one), or exterior (none). A tangent line is always perpendicular to the radius at the point of tangency.
Method. Solve for one variable in the line, substitute it into the equation of the circle, and you get a quadratic equation. Its discriminant $\Delta$ decides:
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$\Delta>0$: secant (two points).
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$\Delta=0$: tangent (one point).
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$\Delta<0$: exterior (none).
Tangent at a point on the circle. The radius $CP$ is perpendicular to the tangent. The slope of the tangent is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the radius, and you use the point-slope form.
Study analytically the relative position between the orbit of an artificial satellite, modelled by the circle $x^2+y^2=4$, and the straight-line trajectory of an…
Study analytically the relative position between the orbit of an artificial satellite, modelled by the circle $x^2+y^2=4$, and the straight-line trajectory of an asteroid given by the equation $y=x+2$. Determine the points of intersection if they exist.
Calculate the length of the free surface of the water inside a circular pipe of equation $x^2+y^2=100$. It is known that the water level has stabilised, forming a…
Calculate the length of the free surface of the water inside a circular pipe of equation $x^2+y^2=100$. It is known that the water level has stabilised, forming a horizontal chord along the line $y=6$.
Calculate the equation of the tangent line to the circular trajectory traced by a hammer thrower at the exact moment they release the wire. The trajectory of the hammer…
Calculate the equation of the tangent line to the circular trajectory traced by a hammer thrower at the exact moment they release the wire. The trajectory of the hammer is given by the circle $x^2+y^2=25$ and the athlete releases the wire when the ball passes through the point $(3, 4)$.
Tangents that meet a condition
Another way to decide whether a line is tangent is to use the fact that the distance from the center to the line equals the radius. This idea works when the line has an unknown value.
This also covers tangents parallel to a given line (same slope) and perpendicular ones (negative reciprocal slope).
A drone performs an evasive manoeuvre following a straight-line trajectory given by the family of lines $y=2x+k$. The restricted airspace around a radar is defined by…
A drone performs an evasive manoeuvre following a straight-line trajectory given by the family of lines $y=2x+k$. The restricted airspace around a radar is defined by the circle $x^2+y^2=5$. Determine the values of the parameter $k$ for which the drone grazes the restricted airspace without penetrating it (that is, the line is tangent to the circle).
Find the equations of the two tangent lines drawn from a spotlight located at the point $(0, 4)$ to a cylindrical fuel tank whose base occupies the region bounded by the…
Find the equations of the two tangent lines drawn from a spotlight located at the point $(0, 4)$ to a cylindrical fuel tank whose base occupies the region bounded by the circle $x^2+y^2=4$. These lines represent the boundaries of the shadows cast on the ground.
The design of a road junction requires drawing two straight roads that are tangent to a central circular plaza whose equation is $x^2+y^2-6x+8y=0$. Furthermore, for…
The design of a road junction requires drawing two straight roads that are tangent to a central circular plaza whose equation is $x^2+y^2-6x+8y=0$. Furthermore, for urban planning reasons, these roads must be parallel to a main avenue with equation $3x-4y=0$. Find the equations of both tangent roads.
Two circles relative to each other
Let $d$ be the distance between the centers and $r_1$, $r_2$ the radii. The position is decided like this:
| Condition | Position |
|---|---|
| $d > r_1+r_2$ | exterior |
| $d = r_1+r_2$ | externally tangent |
| $\lvert r1-r2\rvert < d < r_1+r_2$ | secant |
| $d = \lvert r_1-r_2\rvert$ | internally tangent |
| $d < \lvert r_1-r_2\rvert$ | one inside the other |
When they intersect. To find the intersection points, solve the system of the two equations. If you subtract the general equations, $x^2$ and $y^2$ cancel and a line remains: the radical axis. That line passes through the intersection points.
Study the relative position between the wavefronts generated by two drops falling into a pond, modelled by the circles $C_1: x^2+y^2=9$ and $C_2: (x-4)^2+y^2=4$.
Study the relative position between the wavefronts generated by two drops falling into a pond, modelled by the circles $C_1: x^2+y^2=9$ and $C_2: (x-4)^2+y^2=4$.
Find the equation of the radical axis of the two circles modelling the area of influence of two radio antennae: $x^2+y^2-4x+2y-4=0$ and $x^2+y^2+6x-2y+6=0$.
Find the equation of the radical axis of the two circles modelling the area of influence of two radio antennae: $x^2+y^2-4x+2y-4=0$ and $x^2+y^2+6x-2y+6=0$.
The GPS system of a cell phone receives signals from two telecommunications towers. The first tower is at the origin of coordinates and estimates that the cell phone is…
The GPS system of a cell phone receives signals from two telecommunications towers. The first tower is at the origin of coordinates and estimates that the cell phone is $5$ km away. The second tower is at the point $(5, 0)$ and estimates that the cell phone is $4$ km away. Find the exact coordinates of the two possible points where the cell phone could be located by calculating the intersection of both circles.
Loci that are circles
Sometimes a problem does not mention circles, but points $P(x, y)$ that satisfy a condition involving distances. To discover the figure:
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Write the condition with the distance formula and square it.
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Expand and simplify.
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If you get $x^2+y^2+Dx+Ey+F=0$ with $r^2>0$, it is a circle.
In an acoustics experiment, we seek the locus of all points in the plane where the sound emitted by a loudspeaker at $A(6, 0)$ is perceived with a quarter of the…
In an acoustics experiment, we seek the locus of all points in the plane where the sound emitted by a loudspeaker at $A(6, 0)$ is perceived with a quarter of the intensity of the sound emitted by another identical loudspeaker at the origin $O(0, 0)$. This is equivalent to finding the points $P(x, y)$ whose distance to the point $A$ is twice their distance to the point $O$. Prove that this locus is a circle and find its center and its radius.
In a network optimisation problem, it is required to find the locus of points in the plane such that the sum of the squares of their distances to two fixed servers…
In a network optimisation problem, it is required to find the locus of points in the plane such that the sum of the squares of their distances to two fixed servers located at $(-2, 0)$ and $(2, 0)$ is exactly equal to $20$. Prove analytically that the resulting figure is a circle and obtain its equation.
Back to the beginning: a corner store $d$ km from the tower gets a signal if $d\le r$, that is, if $x^2+y^2\le 25$ with the tower at the origin.