Length of an Arc
What is an arc?
- An arc is a part of the circumference of a circle
- You can think of it as the crust on a slice of pizza
- The length of an arc depends on
- the size of the angle at the centre of the circle
- the radius of the circle
- If the angle at the centre is less than 180° then the arc is known as a minor arc
- If the angle at the centre is more than 180° then the arc is known as a major arc
How do I find the length of an arc using degrees?
- The length of an arc is simply a fraction of the total circumference of a circle
- The fraction can be found by dividing the angle at the centre by 360°
- The formula for the length, , of an arc is
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- is the angle measured in degrees
- is the radius
- This is not on the exam formula sheet, so you need to remember it
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How do I find the length of an arc using radians?
- When working in radians the formula for arc length is much simpler
- This is because is already 'built into' radians
- The formula for the length, , of an arc is
-
-
- is the angle measured in radians
- is the radius
- This is not on the exam formula sheet, so you need to remember it
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Exam Tip
- Be careful on arc length questions
- Finding the arc length may only be part of a larger question
- For example finding the total perimeter of a circle sector
- Make sure you are using the formula that matches the angle measure (degrees or radians)
Worked example
A circular pizza has had a slice cut from it. The slice is in the shape of a sector, with the angle at the centre being 38°. The radius of the pizza is 12 cm.
Use the arc length formula (in the degrees form) with and
(You could also convert to radians and use the radians version of the formula)
Worked example
A sector of a circle has a radius of 7cm and an angle at the centre of radians. Find the perimeter of the sector, giving your answer as an exact value.
Drawing a diagram can help
The perimeter of sector will include both the length of the arc and the two radii
Use the arc length formula (in the radians form) with and
The question asks for an exact value answer, so just write that down (with units!)