A circle has circumference centimeters. What is the area, in square centimeters, of the circle?
A given circumference measures the distance around a circle, while area measures the space inside it. Use to find the radius, the distance from the center to the edge, then put that radius into . Don’t treat the diameter as the radius: squaring that longer length makes the area four times too large.
Hints
- Hint 1
The radius runs from a circle’s center to its edge. Circumference uses , so what equation do you get when you replace with the given circumference?
- Hint 2
The area formula is . The radius gets squared before you multiply by . Which length have you found that can go in for ?
Step-by-step
Find the radius, then the area
Step 1Turn the circumference into an equation
The circumference is the distance around the circle, and is the radius from the center to the edge. Since and the given circumference is , replace with :
- Step 2
Find the radius
Divide both sides by to get the radius alone:
Cancel from the top and bottom:
Divide:
- Step 3
Substitute the radius into the area formula
The area formula uses the radius squared, so put into :
- Step 4
Use the radius to find the area
Type into Desmos; it shows . Replace the square with :
Find the radius before you square it. The area is square centimeters. Choice B.