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MathematicsCh 11 Areas Related to Circles

Areas Related to Circles: Class 10 Maths · Chapter 11

Mathematics · Companion notes, simulations and practice · Official NCERT chapter PDF ↗

Published · Updated

  • 40 min
  • 1 simulation
  • 23 practice questions
  • 13 MCQs

What you will learn in Areas Related to Circles

  • Name the minor and major sectors and segments made by two radii or a chord, and find the angle of a major sector.
  • Derive the area of a sector and the length of an arc by the unitary method, and use them with π = 22/7 or 3.14.
  • Find the perimeter of a sector and use area = ½ × arc length × radius.
  • Find the area of triangle OAB from the perpendicular OM and trigonometric ratios for any central angle.
  • Find the areas of minor and major segments as differences of areas.
  • Solve everyday and board-exam problems on clock hands, grazing animals, sprinklers, wheels and designs.

Original companion text aligned to NCERT Mathematics Class 10, Chapter 11, pp. 154–160. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCERT.

11.1 Areas of Sector and Segment of a Circle

Share a pizza with friends and the first question is always: how big is my slice? The minute hand of a clock sweeps a wedge of the dial every few minutes. A rangoli artist fills the curved strip between a straight chalk line and the rim of a circle. Each of these is a part of a circle, and this chapter is about measuring such parts.

You already have the tools. From Class 9 you know that a circle of radius r has circumference 2πr and area πr2, and you have met arcs and sectors. Here we name every part precisely and build each formula by the unitary method. Then we use the trigonometric ratios of Chapter 8 to find the triangle hidden inside a segment. That last step is the one board questions test most.

Sectors and segments

Draw a circle with centre O and mark two points A and B on it. The radii OA and OB cut the disc into two pieces, just as two cuts from the centre cut a pizza. Each piece is bounded by the two radii and one of the arcs AB, and is called a sector (त्रिज्यखंड). The angle ∠AOB at the centre is the angle of the sector.

The two sectors are usually of different sizes. The smaller one is the minor sector and the larger one is the major sector. The two angles at O together make a full turn. So if the minor sector has angle θ, the major sector has angle 360∘−θ, as steps 1 and 2 of Fig. 11.1 show.

Definition
Sector

The region of a disc bounded by two radii and the arc between their ends. Its angle is the angle between the two radii at the centre.

ExampleOne slice of a round pizza cut from the centre.

Now join A and B by a straight line instead. The chord AB also splits the disc into two pieces. Each piece is bounded by the chord and one of the arcs, and is called a segment (वृत्तखंड). The smaller one is the minor segment and the larger one is the major segment (steps 3 and 4).

Definition
Segment

The region of a disc bounded by a chord and one of the two arcs that the chord cuts off.

ExampleThe piece that breaks off a round papad along a straight crack.

1/4Two radii make the minor sector, with angle θ at O.

Fig. 11.1Two radii make two sectors; one chord makes two segments.NCERT Figs. 11.1–11.2 · p. 154

A circle with centre O and two points A and B on its right side. Step 1 shades the minor sector, the narrow wedge between radii OA and OB, with its angle theta marked at O. Step 2 shades instead the major sector, the large wedge on the left, with the angle 360 degrees minus theta. Step 3 hides the radii, draws the chord AB as a dashed line and shades the thin minor segment between the chord and the short arc. Step 4 shades the major segment, everything on the other side of the chord.

One convention saves words. When a question says just “sector” or “segment”, it means the minor one; the larger piece is always called “major”. Notice also how the boundaries differ: a sector always has a corner at the centre, while the corners of a segment are the two ends of a chord.

Quick check
1 of 3
A round papad cracks along a straight line that does not pass through its centre. What are the two pieces called?
Show answer

Answer (B) a minor and a major segment

The crack is a chord, and a chord cuts a disc into two segments. Sectors need two radii meeting at the centre. Equal semicircles appear only when the chord is a diameter, and this one misses the centre.

Area of a sector

How much of the disc does a sector hold? In Class 9 you saw why equal angles at the centre give equal slices. The quickest way to turn that into a formula is the unitary method, the one a shopkeeper uses to price a single item: find the area for one degree, then multiply. The starting point is the whole disc, which is a “sector” whose angle is a full turn.

A full turn of 360∘ holds πr2, so one degree holds 1360 of it, that is πr2360. A sector of θ degrees is made of θ such one-degree slices, as Fig. 11.2 shows. Its area is therefore θ times πr2360.

3/3A sector of θ∘ is θ one-degree slices put together.

Fig. 11.2The unitary method: from the whole turn, to one degree, to θ degrees.NCERT Fig. 11.3 · p. 155

A shaded disc with centre O and short tick marks all round its rim, standing for equal slices. On the right, the first line says 360 degrees goes with pi r squared. Step 2 picks out one thin slice, drawn wider than one degree so it can be seen, and a second line says 1 degree goes with pi r squared over 360. Step 3 shades a sector of angle theta made of theta such slices, and a third line says theta degrees goes with theta over 360 times pi r squared.

Area of a sector
A=θ360×πr2
(11.1)
where
A
area of the sector
r
radius of the circle
θ
angle of the sector, in degrees

Read the formula as a share: a sector takes the same fraction of the disc as its angle takes of a full turn. A quadrant (90∘) is 90360=14 of the disc, and a 60∘ sector is 16 of it. For the major sector, either subtract the minor sector from the whole disc or put 360−θ in place of θ; both give the same answer.

Area of the major sector
A′=πr2−A=360−θ360×πr2
where
A′
area of the major sector
Example 11.1NCERT Example 1 · p. 156

A pizza in five slices

A pizza of diameter 20 cm is cut from the centre into 5 equal slices. Find the area of one slice, and the area of pizza left after one slice is eaten. (Use π=3.14.)

2/2One slice is the minor sector; the rest is the major sector.

Fig. 11.3One slice is a minor sector; what is left is the major sector.NCERT Fig. 11.5 · p. 156

A round pizza with a crust, tomato and capsicum toppings, cut from the centre into five equal slices; labels say 5 equal slices, each 72 degrees, radius 10 cm. In step 2 the slice on the right, with its angle marked, slides outwards away from the rest. Labels now give one slice as 62.8 square centimetres and the rest as 251.2 square centimetres.

Try it yourself first. Then reveal the solution one step at a time.

Length of an arc

The same reasoning measures the curved edge of a sector, its arc (चाप). The whole circle, all 360∘ of it, is 2πr long. One degree at the centre gets 1360 of that length, and θ degrees get θ times as much. Imagine peeling the edge of the circle off and laying it flat, as in Fig. 11.4: the arc is a piece of that straight line in proportion to its angle.

3/3The arc is 120360=13 of that line.

Fig. 11.4An arc gets the same share of 2πr as its angle gets of 360∘.NCERT p. 155

Top left, a circle with centre O and a sector of 120 degrees, its arc l drawn thick. Step 2 lays the whole edge of the circle flat as a straight line 2 pi r long, with ticks marked 0, 90, 180, 270 and 360 degrees. Step 3 thickens the first third of the line, from 0 to 120 degrees, labelled l, and shows the working l equals 120 over 360 times 2 pi r.

Length of an arc
l=θ360×2πr
(11.2)
where
l
length of the arc of a sector of angle θ

Board questions often ask for the perimeter of a sector, the length of its whole boundary. Walk round it: out along one radius, along the arc, and back along the other radius. So the perimeter is 2r+l, not l alone.

SimulationArc and angle at the centre

A circle with centre O and two draggable points A and B on it. The sector between them is shaded and its arc is drawn thick. Readouts show the angle AOB, the length of arc AB, the chord AB and the radius in centimetres, with the arc-length formula worked out for the current numbers. Points snap to multiples of 5 degrees, and a grip on the circle changes the radius between 2.5 and 6.5 cm.

Fig. 11.5Drag A or B to change ∠AOB, or drag the grip on the circle to change r. The panel works out the arc with (11.2).
Try this
  • Make ∠AOB=90∘. Is the arc a quarter of 2πr?
  • Keep the angle fixed and change the radius. When r grows by half, by how much does the arc grow?
  • Make the angle 180∘. What is the arc now, in terms of r?

Formulas (11.1) and (11.2) share the factor θ360, and that gives a useful link between them. Multiply the arc length by r2:

Area of a sector from its arc
A=12 l r
(11.3)

Fig. 11.6 shows why this makes sense. Cut a sector into many thin slices and fit them together head to tail. They form a shape close to a parallelogram whose height is about r and whose base is about half the arc. Its area is about l2×r, and the thinner the slices, the better the fit. The result saves time when a question gives the arc length but not the angle.

3/3Turn every other slice upside down and fit them together: height about r, base about l2.

Fig. 11.6Thin slices of a sector rearrange into a near-parallelogram: area ≈l2×r.

On the left, a sector with centre O, radius r and arc length l. Step 2 cuts it into six thin slices with lines from O. Step 3 shows the six slices on the right, placed side by side with every other slice upside down, so they make a shape close to a parallelogram. Its height is marked r and its base is marked l over 2, and the label says the area is about l over 2 times r.

Example

A level-crossing barrier

At a railway level crossing, the barrier arm is 4.2 m long and turns about a pivot at one end. After a train passes, the arm swings up from horizontal to vertical. (a) How far does its tip travel? (b) What area does the arm sweep?

3/3The arm sweeps a quadrant of radius 4.2 m.

Fig. 11.7The tip moves on an arc; the arm sweeps a quadrant.

A striped barrier arm 4.2 m long lies horizontally from a pivot on a short post with a warning lamp. In step 2 the arm turns up about the pivot until it is vertical, and the path of its tip is drawn as a dashed quarter circle labelled tip moves 6.6 m. In step 3 the quarter circle swept by the arm is shaded and labelled 13.86 square metres.

Try it yourself first. Then reveal the solution one step at a time.

Quick check
1 of 4
A slice of a round cake of radius 7 cm has an angle of 45∘ at the centre. What is the area of the top of the slice, in cm²?
cm²
Show answer

Answer 19.25 cm²

45360×227×72=18×154=19.25 cm2. Using 2πr instead of πr2 gives 5.5, the length of the arc, not an area.

Area of a segment

A segment has no formula of its own: we find it by subtraction. Look at the minor segment cut off by the chord AB in Fig. 11.8. Put the triangle OAB next to it and together they make the whole sector OAB. So the segment is what remains when the triangle is taken out of the sector.

Area of a minor segment
Aseg=Asec−A△
(11.4)
where
Aseg
area of the minor segment
Asec
area of the sector, θ360πr2
A△
area of triangle OAB

3/4Sector minus triangle leaves the minor segment.

Fig. 11.8Segment = sector − triangle; the major segment is the rest of the disc.NCERT Fig. 11.4 · p. 156

A circle with centre O and a chord AB across its upper part, with the angle theta marked at O. Step 1 shades the sector OAB. Step 2 shades the triangle OAB inside it with a dashed outline. Step 3 shades only the thin minor segment between the chord and the arc, with the label sector minus triangle OAB. Step 4 shades the major segment below the chord, labelled pi r squared minus the minor segment.

The major pieces come from the whole disc. The major sector is πr2 minus the minor sector, and the major segment is πr2 minus the minor segment. Be careful with one tempting shortcut: the major segment is the major sector plus triangle OAB, not minus it, because the triangle lies on the major segment's side of the chord.

Finding the area of triangle OAB

Everything now rests on the triangle. Two of its sides are radii, so OA=OB=r, and the angle between them is θ. For θ=90∘ it is easy: the radii are perpendicular, so they serve as base and height, and the area is 12r2. For other angles we find a height using trigonometry.

DerivationArea of triangle OAB for an angle θ below 180°

Draw OM perpendicular to the chord AB (Fig. 11.9). The right triangles OMA and OMB have equal hypotenuses (OA=OB) and share the side OM, so they are congruent by RHS. Hence AM=MB, and OM halves the angle at O: ∠AOM=∠BOM=θ2.

In the right triangle OMA, the angle at O is θ2 and the hypotenuse is r. The ratios of Chapter 8 give the two legs:

OM=rcos⁡θ2AM=rsin⁡θ2

Take AB=2 AM as the base and OM as the height:

Area of triangle OAB
A△=12AB⋅OM=AM⋅OM=r2sin⁡θ2cos⁡θ2
(11.5)

3/3OM=rcos⁡θ2 and AM=rsin⁡θ2, so the area is AM×OM.

Fig. 11.9The perpendicular OM splits triangle OAB into two congruent right triangles.NCERT Fig. 11.7 · p. 157

An isosceles triangle OAB hangs from the centre O at the top, inside a dashed arc of the circle. Step 1 marks OA and OB as r and the angle theta at O. Step 2 draws the perpendicular OM from O to the midpoint M of AB, with a right-angle mark, equal tick marks on AM and MB, and the two halves of the angle marked theta over 2. Step 3 adds the results OM equals r cos theta over 2, AM equals r sin theta over 2, and the area of triangle OAB equals AM times OM.

Table 11.1Triangle OAB for the angles that come up most often
θOMAMArea of △OAB
60∘32r12r34r2
90∘12r12r12r2
120∘12r32r34r2

Two quick routes are worth remembering. At 60∘ the triangle is equilateral: OA=OB forces equal base angles, and they must also be 60∘. Its area is 34r2 straight away. At 90∘ the triangle is half of a square drawn on the radius.

Example 11.2NCERT Example 2 · p. 157

Stained glass in a round window

A round window of radius 70 cm has a straight wooden bar AB across it. The bar subtends 120∘ at the centre O, and the glass below the bar (the minor segment) is coloured. Find the area of the coloured glass. (Use π=227 and 3=1.732.)

2/2Radii OA, OB and the perpendicular OM give the triangle.

Fig. 11.10The coloured glass is the minor segment cut off by the bar.NCERT Fig. 11.6 · p. 157

A round window with a thick frame and a horizontal wooden bar AB across its lower part; the glass below the bar is coloured and patterned, labelled stained glass. Step 2 draws the radii OA and OB with the 120 degree angle at the centre O and the perpendicular OM to the bar with a right-angle mark at M. Labels list OA = 70 cm, angle AOB = 120 degrees and OM = 35 cm.

Try it yourself first. Then reveal the solution one step at a time.

Example

A rangoli with a yellow strip

A circular rangoli has radius 20 cm. A straight line of white powder joins two points A and B on its edge with ∠AOB=60∘, and the strip between this line and the edge is filled with yellow. Find the area of (a) the yellow minor segment, (b) the major segment. (Use π=3.14 and 3=1.73.)

2/3With ∠AOB=60∘, triangle OAB has all three sides 20 cm.

Fig. 11.11At 60∘ the triangle OAB is equilateral.

A circular rangoli decorated with eight petals and a ring of dots. A straight line AB near the right edge cuts off a thin yellow strip, labelled minor segment. Step 2 shades the triangle OAB with the 60 degree angle at O and notes that OA, OB and AB all equal 20 cm, so the triangle is equilateral. Step 3 shades everything on the other side of AB, labelled major segment, about 1219.67 square centimetres.

Try it yourself first. Then reveal the solution one step at a time.

InteractiveSector explorer

A circle with centre O, a fixed point A and a draggable point B; dragging B or pressing the arrow keys changes the angle AOB in whole degrees, and buttons jump to 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 180 degrees. Four buttons pick the region to shade: the sector of angle theta, the other sector, the segment cut off by chord AB, or the other segment. A slider sets the radius from 1 to 42 cm and a switch chooses pi as 22 over 7 or 3.14. A panel works out the arc length, the sector area, OM, AM and the area of triangle OAB, and the area of the chosen region with the numbers put in, naming it minor or major. A Play button sweeps the angle from 0 to 360 degrees like a clock hand and can be paused.

Fig. 11.12Drag B (or use the arrow keys) to set the angle, then pick the region, the radius and the value of π. Press Play to sweep the angle like a clock hand.
Quick check
1 of 4
A chord subtends 90∘ at the centre of a circle of radius r. Which expression gives the area of the minor segment?
Show answer

Answer (C) πr24−r22

The sector is 90360πr2=πr24 and the right triangle is 12×r×r. Subtracting r2 forgets the 12, and adding the triangle builds a bigger region instead of removing it.
Practice · 15 questions

Practice 11.1: questions with answers

Use π=227 unless a question says otherwise.

  1. NumericalEasyNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q1

    A sector has radius 9 cm and an angle of 70∘. How much area does it cover?

    cm²
    Show answer

    Answer 49.5 cm²

    70360×227×81=22×8136=49.5 cm2.
  2. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q2

    The border of a circular rangoli is a ribbon 132 cm long. One quadrant of the rangoli is filled with marigold petals. What area do the petals cover?

    Show solution

    Answer346.5 cm2

    2πr=132, so r=132×744=21 cm.

    A quadrant is a quarter of the disc: 14×227×212=14×1386=346.5 cm2.

  3. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q3

    The minute hand of a wall clock is 10.5 cm long. It moves from 10:10 to 10:30.

    1. Through what angle does it turn, in degrees?

      degrees
      Show answer

      Answer 120 degrees

      It turns 6∘ per minute, and 20×6∘=120∘.
    2. What area of the dial does it sweep, in cm²?

      cm²
      Show answer

      Answer 115.5 cm²

      120360×227×10.52=13×346.5=115.5 cm2.
    3. How far does the tip of the hand travel, in cm?

      cm
      Show answer

      Answer 22 cm

      13×2×227×10.5=13×66=22 cm.
  4. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q4

    In a circle of radius 8 cm, the radii OA and OB are at right angles, and AB is joined. Use π=3.14.

    1. Find the area of the minor segment, in cm².

      cm²
      Show answer

      Answer 18.24 cm²

      Sector =14×3.14×64=50.24, triangle =12×8×8=32, so the segment is 18.24 cm2.
    2. Find the area of the major sector, in cm².

      cm²
      Show answer

      Answer 150.72 cm²

      The whole disc is 3.14×64=200.96, so the major sector is 200.96−50.24=150.72 cm2.
  5. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q5

    An arc of a circle of radius 28 cm makes an angle of 60∘ at the centre. Work out:

    1. the length of the arc, in cm

      cm
      Show answer

      Answer 29.33 cm

      60360×2×227×28=1766=883≈29.33 cm.
    2. the area of the sector, in cm²

      cm²
      Show answer

      Answer 410.67 cm²

      16×227×784=24646=12323≈410.67 cm2.
    3. the area of the minor segment (exactly, then with 3=1.732)

      Show solution

      Answer(12323−1963) cm2≈71.19 cm2

      The equilateral triangle has side 28 cm, so its area is 34×784=1963 cm2.

      Segment =12323−1963≈410.667−339.472≈71.19 cm2.

  6. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q6

    In a circle of radius 30 cm, the chord AB makes ∠AOB=60∘. Work out the areas of both segments it creates, minor and major. (Use π=3.14 and 3=1.73.)

    Show solution

    AnswerMinor: 81.75 cm2; major: 2744.25 cm2

    Sector: 60360×3.14×900=471 cm2.

    The triangle is equilateral with side 30 cm: 1.734×900=389.25 cm2.

    Minor segment: 471−389.25=81.75 cm2.

    Disc: 3.14×900=2826 cm2, so the major segment is 2826−81.75=2744.25 cm2.

  7. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q7

    A round glass tabletop has radius 60 cm. A gold strip fills the minor segment cut off by a chord AB with ∠AOB=120∘. How large is the strip? (Use π=3.14 and 3=1.73.)

    Show solution

    Answer2211 cm2

    Sector: 120360×3.14×3600=3768 cm2.

    OM=60cos⁡60∘=30 cm and AM=60sin⁡60∘=303 cm.

    Triangle: AM×OM=9003=900×1.73=1557 cm2.

    Strip: 3768−1557=2211 cm2.

  8. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q8

    A goat grazes in a rectangular field 20 m by 15 m. Its 6 m rope is fixed to a peg in one corner of the field. (Use π=3.14.)

    Fig. 11.13The corner is a right angle, so the goat grazes a quadrant.NCERT Fig. 11.8 · p. 158

    A rectangular field 20 m long and 15 m wide. A peg sits at the bottom left corner with a rope to a shaded quarter circle of radius 6 m, the area the goat can graze. A dashed quarter circle of radius 9 m shows the larger grazing area with a longer rope.

    1. What area can the goat graze, in m²?

      m²
      Show answer

      Answer 28.26 m²

      A quadrant of radius 6 m: 14×3.14×36=28.26 m2.
    2. The owner swaps the rope for a 9 m one. By how much does the grazing area grow, in m²?

      m²
      Show answer

      Answer 35.325 m²

      With 9 m (still shorter than both sides): 14×3.14×81=63.585 m2. Increase: 63.585−28.26=35.325 m2.
  9. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q9

    For a school project, Kabir bends brass wire into a model cart wheel: a rim of diameter 42 mm and 4 straight wires that run right across it through the centre, cutting the wheel into 8 equal parts.

    1. Find the total length of wire, in mm.

      mm
      Show answer

      Answer 300 mm

      Circumference =227×42=132 mm, and four diameters add 4×42=168 mm: 300 mm in all.
    2. Find the area of each part, in mm².

      mm²
      Show answer

      Answer 173.25 mm²

      Each part is a sector of angle 45∘: 18×227×212=13868=173.25 mm2.
  10. NumericalEasyNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q10

    A prize wheel at a mela is a flat disc of radius 35 cm, divided into prize sections by 10 equally spaced lines from the centre. Find the area of one section.

    cm²
    Show answer

    Answer 385 cm²

    Each section is a 36∘ sector: 110×227×352=385010=385 cm2.
  11. NumericalMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q11

    Two lawn sprinklers each throw water up to 4.2 m while turning through 100∘. Their wet regions do not overlap. Find the total area watered in one sweep.

    m²
    Show answer

    Answer 30.8 m²

    One sector: 100360×227×4.22=518×55.44=15.4 m2. Two: 30.8 m2.
  12. NumericalEasyNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q12

    A floodlight on a railway platform throws light 30 m ahead, spread across an angle of 70∘. What area of the platform and track does it light? (Use π=3.14.)

    m²
    Show answer

    Answer 549.5 m²

    70360×3.14×900=736×2826=549.5 m2.
  13. Long answerHardNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q13

    A round brass plate of radius 21 cm has a regular hexagon engraved on it, with its six corners on the rim. The six segments between the hexagon and the rim are enamelled at ₹0.50 per cm². Find the cost. (Use 3=1.73.)

    Fig. 11.14Each side of the hexagon cuts off one segment.NCERT Fig. 11.11 · p. 159

    A round brass plate of radius 21 cm with a regular hexagon drawn inside it, its six corners on the rim. The six curved pieces between the sides of the hexagon and the rim are shaded and labelled enamelled segments; a dashed radius is marked 21 cm.

    Show solution

    AnswerAbout ₹120.80

    Joining O to the six corners makes six triangles with 60∘ at O, each equilateral with side 21 cm.

    One segment: 16×227×441−1.734×441=231−190.7325=40.2675 cm2.

    Six segments: 6×40.2675=241.605 cm2.

    Cost: 241.605×0.50=120.8025, that is about ₹120.80.

  14. Quick answerMediumNCERT Exercise 11.1, Q14

    Which of these give the area of a sector of angle x∘ in a circle of radius a? Choose all that apply.

    Select all that apply
    Show answer
    Answer
    • (A) x360×πa2
    • (C) x720×2πa2
    • (E) 12×a×πax180
    A is (11.1). C is the same, since 2720=1360. E is 12×r×l with arc l=x360×2πa=πax180. B is the arc length itself, and D is twice the area.
  15. Quick answerMedium

    Circle 1 has radius r and an arc of 40∘. Circle 2 has radius 2r and an arc of 20∘. The arc in circle 1 is the longer one.

    Show answer

    Answer False

    By (11.2) the arcs are 40360×2πr and 20360×2π(2r), which are equal. Halving the angle and doubling the radius cancel out.

11.2 Summary

Three results carry the whole chapter. Two are a fraction θ360 of a whole-circle quantity, and the third is a difference of two areas.

3/3Segment: sector minus triangle OAB.

Fig. 11.15Arc, sector and segment: the three formulas of this chapter.

A circle with centre O and a sector at its upper right. Step 1 thickens the arc and shows the arc-length formula, l equals theta over 360 times 2 pi r. Step 2 shades the sector and adds its area formula, theta over 360 times pi r squared. Step 3 shades only the segment between the chord and the arc and adds the rule: segment equals sector minus triangle OAB.

Recap

Areas Related to Circles: key points and summary

  1. A sector is bounded by two radii and an arc; a segment by a chord and an arc. Each comes as a minor and a major piece, and a lone “sector” or “segment” means the minor one (Sectors and segments).
  2. If the minor sector has angle θ, the major sector has angle 360∘−θ (Sectors and segments).
  3. By the unitary method, the area of a sector is θ360×πr2 ((11.1)).
  4. The length of an arc is θ360×2πr, and the perimeter of a sector is 2r+l ((11.2)).
  5. When the arc length is known, the area of a sector is 12lr ((11.3)).
  6. Area of a minor segment = area of the sector − area of triangle OAB ((11.4)).
  7. Major sector =πr2− minor sector, and major segment =πr2− minor segment (Area of a segment).
  8. With OM⊥AB: OM=rcos⁡θ2, AM=rsin⁡θ2 and triangle OAB=AM×OM ((11.5)).
  9. At 60∘ and 120∘ the triangle has area 34r2; at 90∘ it is 12r2 (Table 11.1).
  10. Use the value of π and 3 that the question gives (Key idea).
Flash cards · 8

Formula cards

1 / 8
Quick revision
1 of 2
Match each quantity with its formula.

Tap an item on the left, then its match on the right.

Show answer
Answer
  • Arc length : θ360×2πr
  • Sector area : θ360×πr2
  • Perimeter of a sector : 2r+l
  • Segment area : sector − triangle
Arc length and perimeter are lengths, so they use r; sector area uses r2; a segment is a difference of two areas.

Board-exam practice

These questions follow the patterns of the CBSE board paper: one-mark MCQs, an assertion–reason item, and 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-mark questions. Show the formula, the substitution and the units in every written answer.

Practice · 8 questions

Practice questions with answers (NCERT “Board-exam practice”)

Use π=227 unless a question says otherwise.

  1. Quick answerMedium

    The perimeter of a sector of a circle of radius 7 cm is 25 cm. The area of the sector is

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    Answer (B) 38.5 cm2

    l=25−2×7=11 cm, so A=12×11×7=38.5 cm2. Taking l=25 gives 87.5, and leaving out the 12 gives 77.
  2. Quick answerEasy

    A sector has 112 of the area of its circle. Its angle is

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    Answer (C) 30∘

    θ360=112 gives θ=30∘.
  3. Quick answerMedium

    Assertion (A): If the radius of a circle is doubled and the angle of a sector is halved, the area of the sector doubles. Reason (R): The area of a sector is proportional to its angle and to the square of the radius.

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    Answer (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

    The new area is θ/2360×π(2r)2=2×θ360πr2. So A is true, and it follows directly from R.
  4. Short answerEasy

    (2 marks) The radii OA and OB of a circle of radius 7 cm are perpendicular. Calculate the area of the minor segment cut off by the chord AB.

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    Answer14 cm2

    Sector: 14×227×49=38.5 cm2. Triangle: 12×7×7=24.5 cm2.

    Segment: 38.5−24.5=14 cm2.

  5. Short answerMedium

    (3 marks) The minute hand of a clock is 7 cm long and the hour hand is 6 cm long. Find the total area swept by the two hands between 3:00 and 3:40.

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    Answer228821 cm2≈108.95 cm2

    In 40 minutes the minute hand turns 240∘ and the hour hand turns 20∘.

    A1=240360×227×49=23×154=3083 cm2
    A2=20360×227×36=447 cm2

    Total: 3083+447=2156+13221=228821≈108.95 cm2.

  6. Short answerMedium

    (3 marks) A sector has an arc 33 cm long and an area of 231 cm2. Find its radius and its angle.

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    Answerr=14 cm, θ=135∘

    231=12×33×r, so r=46233=14 cm.

    The circumference is 2×227×14=88 cm, and the arc is 3388=38 of it.

    So θ=38×360∘=135∘.

  7. Short answerMedium

    (4 marks, case study) For Diwali, Ananya draws a circular rangoli of radius 42 cm and divides it into 6 equal sectors by lines from the centre. In one sector she joins the ends of the arc with a straight line and fills that segment with blue powder. (Use π=227 and 3=1.73.)

    1. What is the angle of each sector, in degrees?

      degrees
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      Answer 60 degrees

      360∘÷6=60∘.
    2. Find the area of each sector, in cm².

      cm²
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      Answer 924 cm²

      16×227×422=55446=924 cm2.
    3. Find the perimeter of one sector, in cm.

      cm
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      Answer 128 cm

      Arc =16×2×227×42=44 cm, so the perimeter is 42+42+44=128 cm.
    4. Find the area of the blue segment, in cm².

      cm²
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      Answer 161.07 cm²

      The triangle is equilateral with side 42 cm: 1.734×1764=762.93 cm2. Segment: 924−762.93=161.07 cm2.
  8. Long answerHard

    (5 marks) In a circle with centre O and radius 10 cm, the chord AB makes ∠AOB=120∘. Find (a) the length of AB, (b) the area of the minor segment, (c) the area of the major segment. (Use π=3.14 and 3=1.73.)

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    Answer(a) 17.3 cm (b) about 61.42 cm2 (c) about 252.58 cm2

    Draw OM⊥AB. By RHS, M is the midpoint of AB and ∠AOM=60∘.

    OM=10cos⁡60∘=5 cmAM=10sin⁡60∘=53 cm

    (a) AB=2 AM=103=17.3 cm.

    (b) Sector: 13×3.14×100≈104.67 cm2. Triangle: AM×OM=253=43.25 cm2. Minor segment: 104.67−43.25=61.42 cm2.

    (c) Major segment: 314−61.42=252.58 cm2.

Find your NCERT exercise question

Our practice questions are written for ncert.ai and follow the NCERT exercises. Find the one that matches the question in your textbook; its answer is with it.

In your NCERT textbookPractice question here
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q1Practice Q1
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q2Practice Q2
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q3Practice Q3
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q4Practice Q4
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q5Practice Q5
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q6Practice Q6
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q7Practice Q7
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q8Practice Q8
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q9Practice Q9
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q10Practice Q10
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q11Practice Q11
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q12Practice Q12
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q13Practice Q13
NCERT Exercise 11.1, Q14Practice Q14

Quick check: MCQs on Areas Related to Circles

  1. Sectors and segments3 questions
  2. Length of an arc4 questions
  3. Finding the area of triangle OAB4 questions
  4. Quick revision2 questions
Glossary · 9

Key terms (English–Hindi)

arcचापchaap
A part of a circle between two of its points. An arc of angle θ has length θ360×2πr.First seen in the chapter →
chordजीवाjeeva
A line segment joining two points of a circle.First seen in the chapter →
major sectorदीर्घ त्रिज्यखंडdeergh trijyakhand
The larger of the two sectors made by two radii, with angle 360∘−θ.First seen in the chapter →
major segmentदीर्घ वृत्तखंडdeergh vrittakhand
The larger segment cut off by a chord; its area is πr2 minus the minor segment.First seen in the chapter →
minor sectorलघु त्रिज्यखंडlaghu trijyakhand
The smaller of the two sectors made by two radii; its angle θ is less than 180∘.First seen in the chapter →
minor segmentलघु वृत्तखंडlaghu vrittakhand
The smaller segment cut off by a chord; its area is the sector minus triangle OAB.First seen in the chapter →
quadrantचतुर्थांशchaturthansh
A sector of angle 90∘, one quarter of a disc.First seen in the chapter →
sectorत्रिज्यखंडtrijyakhand
The region of a disc between two radii and the arc joining their ends.First seen in the chapter →
segmentवृत्तखंडvrittakhand
The region of a disc between a chord and one of the arcs it cuts off.First seen in the chapter →