🥧 Circle Area

Grade 8 · Cambridge Lower Secondary Stage 8

What you'll learn

  • Calculate area of a circle: A = πr²
  • Find radius from area
  • Calculate area of a sector (pizza slice)
  • Find area of composite shapes with circles
  • Solve problems involving annuli (ring shapes)

📖 Learn

1. Area of a Circle

A = πr²
r = radius (half the diameter)
Example: r = 5 cm → A = π × 5² = 25π ≈ 78.54 cm²
From diameter: r = d/2 first, then A = π(d/2)²
Exact answer: leave in terms of π (e.g. 25π cm²)
💡 r² means r × r — don't forget to square the radius BEFORE multiplying by π.
⚠️ Common error: A = π × 2r (wrong!) or A = (2πr)² (wrong!). It's always πr².

2. Finding Radius from Area

Rearrange: A = πr² → r² = A/π → r = √(A/π)
Example: A = 78.54 cm² → r² = 78.54/π ≈ 25 → r = 5 cm
Example: A = 50 cm² → r = √(50/π) ≈ 3.99 cm
💡 Divide by π first, then take the square root.

3. Area of a Sector

A sector is a "pizza slice" — fraction of a circle based on angle θ.

Area of sector = (θ / 360) × πr²
Example: r = 8 cm, θ = 90°: Area = (90/360) × π × 64 = 16π ≈ 50.27 cm²
Semicircle: (180/360) × πr² = ½πr²
💡 For a quarter circle (quadrant), area = ¼πr²

4. Annulus (Ring Shape)

An annulus is the region between two concentric circles (a ring).

Area of annulus = πR² − πr² = π(R² − r²)
R = outer radius, r = inner radius
Example: R = 10, r = 6: Area = π(100−36) = 64π ≈ 201.1 cm²

5. Composite Shapes with Circles

Circle inside a square: Shaded area = square area − circle area
Semicircle on rectangle: Total area = rectangle + ½πr²
Example: 10×8 rectangle + semicircle r=4 on top: Area = 80 + ½π(16) = 80+8π ≈ 105.1 cm²
⚠️ Carefully identify what is being ADDED and what is being SUBTRACTED.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example 1 – Area from Radius

Find the area of a circle with radius 6 cm. (a) exact (b) to 3 s.f.

(a) A = π × 6² = 36π cm²
(b) 36π ≈ 113 cm² (3 s.f.)

Example 2 – Radius from Area

A circle has area 200 cm². Find the radius to 2 d.p.

r² = 200/π ≈ 63.66
r = √63.66 ≈ 7.98 cm

Example 3 – Area of Sector

Sector with r = 10 cm, angle = 72°. Find the area.

Area = (72/360) × π × 100 = (1/5) × 100π = 20π ≈ 62.83 cm²

Example 4 – Composite Shape

A square of side 8 cm has a circle of diameter 8 cm inscribed in it. Find the shaded area outside the circle.

Square area: 8 × 8 = 64 cm²
Circle area: π × 4² = 16π ≈ 50.27 cm²
Shaded area: 64 − 16π ≈ 64 − 50.27 ≈ 13.73 cm²

🎨 Visualizer

🥧 Circle Area Calculator

🍕 Sector Area Calculator

💍 Annulus Calculator

Exercise 1 – Area of a Circle from Radius

A = πr². Give answers to 2 decimal places.

Exercise 2 – Radius from Area

r = √(A/π). Give answers to 2 decimal places.

Exercise 3 – Sector Area

Area = (θ/360) × πr². Give to 2 d.p.

Exercise 4 – Annulus and Composite Shapes

To 2 d.p.

Exercise 5 – Mixed Circle Area Problems

📝 Practice – 20 Questions

🏆 Challenge – 8 Questions