Arc Length & Sector Area Investigation

Lesson Overview & Quick Circumference and Area Review
In the sketch below, you'll see a circle centered at point C, and I've given you a slider that allows you to adjust the radius of the circle.[br][br]Hopefully, the names of the three buttons on the left give you an idea of what they each do, but go ahead and click the first two to see if they remind you of the difference between circumference and area. [br]Then answer Questions #1 and #2 below the sketch.
Note : the 'dot' in the formula represents 'x' (multiply).
Question #1 - Definition and Formula for Circumference
What is circumference, and what is the formula for it? (Click "Show Circumference" in the applet for help)
Calculate circumference.
What is the circumference of a circle with a radius of 6? [br]Use 3.142 for [math]\pi[/math] and round your answer to 3 significant figures
Question #2 - Definition and Formula for Area of a Circle
What is the area of a circle, and what is the formula for it? (Click "Show Area" in the applet for help)
Calculate area.
What is the area of a circle with a radius of 5? [br]Use 3.142 for [math]\pi[/math] and round your answer to 3 significant figures.
NEW Concept - Calculating Arc Length
You just reviewed how to calculate the distance around a circle (circumference), but what if you don't want to travel [i]all the way around [/i]the circle? [br]This is a measurement called "arc length", to understand this consider the sketch below.[br][br]When the sketch loads, the radius of the circle will be 3, and you should see an angle with a measure of 90 degrees. [br]Notice that the length of the red arc is 4.7 units. Make the radius bigger, but leave the angle alone. Then answer the question below.
Question #3 - Arc Length & Radius
When you made the circle radius bigger, the angle remained 90 degrees. [br]What happened to the arc length?
Question #4 - Arc Length & Angle
Now make the radius 3 again and change the size of the angle using the slider.[br]The size of the radius of the circle isn't affected by this. [br]What happened to the arc length?
Question #5 - Arc Length Formula
In the sketch, two calculations are shown. [br]The first is circumference. [br]Describe what the circumference is multiplied by to give arc length.
Question #6 - Calculating Arc Length
Calculate the arc length of a circle with a radius of 4, made by a central angle of [math]75^o[/math]. [br]Use 3.142 for [math]\pi[/math] and round your answer to 3 significant figures.
NEW Concept - Calculating Area of a Sector
In the sketch below, you will see a blue-shaded region formed by two radiuses (radii) of the circle and the arc between them. This region is called a sector. It should be obvious that we don't measure the [i]length [/i]of a sector, but its [i]area[/i]. [br][br]When the sketch loads, the radius of the circle will be 3, and you should see a central angle with a measure of 90 degrees, just like the previous sketch. Notice that the area of the sector is 7.1 square units. Make the radius bigger, but leave the central angle alone. Then answer the question below.
Question #7 - Sector Area & Radius
When you made the circle radius bigger, the angle remained 90 degrees. [br]What happened to the area of the sector?
Question #8 - Sector Area & Angle
Now make the radius 3 again change the size of the angle using the slider.[br]The size of the radius of the circle isn't affected by this. [br]What happened to the area of the sector?
Question #9 - Sector Area Formula
In the sketch, two calculations are shown. [br]The first, of course, is the area of the circle. [br]Describe what the area of the circle is multiplied by to give the area of the sector.
Question #10 - Calculating Sector Area
Calculate the area of a sector in a circle with a radius of 5 and angle of [math]130^o[/math]. [br]Use 3.142 for [math]\pi[/math] and round your answer to 3 significant figures.
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