Finding the Center and the Radius of the Circle

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 36 views

**Find the Center and the Radius of the Circle: A Step-by-Step Guide** ===========================================================

Introduction

In mathematics, a circle is a set of points that are equidistant from a central point called the center. The distance from the center to any point on the circle is called the radius. In this article, we will learn how to find the center and the radius of a circle given its equation.

The Equation of a Circle

The general equation of a circle is given by:

(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2

where (h, k) is the center of the circle and r is the radius.

Finding the Center and the Radius of the Circle

To find the center and the radius of the circle, we need to rewrite the given equation in the standard form of the equation of a circle.

Step 1: Complete the Square for x and y

The given equation is:

x^2 - 2x + y^2 + 6y = 6

To complete the square for x, we need to add (b/2)^2 to both sides of the equation, where b is the coefficient of x. In this case, b = -2.

import sympy as sp
x, y = sp.symbols('x y')
eq = x2 - 2*x + y2 + 6*y - 6
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(-2/2)**2)
print(eq)

This will give us:

x^2 - 2x + 1 + y^2 + 6y = 7

Now, we can rewrite the equation as:

(x - 1)^2 + y^2 + 6y = 7

Step 2: Complete the Square for y

To complete the square for y, we need to add (b/2)^2 to both sides of the equation, where b is the coefficient of y. In this case, b = 6.

# Complete the square for y
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(6/2)**2)
print(eq)

This will give us:

(x - 1)^2 + y^2 + 6y + 9 = 16

Now, we can rewrite the equation as:

(x - 1)^2 + (y + 3)^2 = 16

Step 3: Find the Center and the Radius

Now that we have the equation in the standard form, we can easily find the center and the radius of the circle.

The center of the circle is (h, k) = (1, -3)

The radius of the circle is r = sqrt(16) = 4

Conclusion

In this article, we learned how to find the center and the radius of a circle given its equation. We completed the square for x and y to rewrite the equation in the standard form, and then we found the center and the radius of the circle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the center of the circle?

A: The center of the circle is (1, -3).

Q: What is the radius of the circle?

A: The radius of the circle is 4.

Q: How do I find the center and the radius of a circle?

A: To find the center and the radius of a circle, you need to rewrite the equation of the circle in the standard form by completing the square for x and y.

Q: What is the equation of a circle?

A: The general equation of a circle is given by:

(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2

where (h, k) is the center of the circle and r is the radius.

Q: How do I complete the square for x and y?

A: To complete the square for x, you need to add (b/2)^2 to both sides of the equation, where b is the coefficient of x. To complete the square for y, you need to add (b/2)^2 to both sides of the equation, where b is the coefficient of y.

Example Problems

Problem 1

Find the center and the radius of the circle given by the equation:

x^2 + 4x + y^2 - 2y = 3

Solution

To find the center and the radius of the circle, we need to rewrite the equation in the standard form by completing the square for x and y.

import sympy as sp
x, y = sp.symbols('x y')
eq = x2 + 4*x + y2 - 2*y - 3
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(4/2)**2)
print(eq)
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(-2/2)**2)
print(eq)

This will give us:

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

The center of the circle is (h, k) = (-2, 1)

The radius of the circle is r = sqrt(9) = 3

Problem 2

Find the center and the radius of the circle given by the equation:

x^2 - 6x + y^2 + 2y = 4

Solution

To find the center and the radius of the circle, we need to rewrite the equation in the standard form by completing the square for x and y.

import sympy as sp
x, y = sp.symbols('x y')
eq = x2 - 6*x + y2 + 2*y - 4
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(-6/2)**2)
print(eq)
eq = eq + (sp.simplify(2/2)**2)
print(eq)

This will give us:

(x - 3)^2 + (y + 1)^2 = 16

The center of the circle is (h, k) = (3, -1)

The radius of the circle is r = sqrt(16) = 4