UNIT 6

LESSON 4

AREA OF CIRCLES

NAME __________________________

Directions: Follow the instructions and answer the questions.

r = 2 cm

radius

r = 2.5 cm

1/2 Circumference

1. What is the diameter of circle A? Of circle B?

Diameter of A ____________

Diameter of B ____________

2. Using string or thread, find the approximate circumference of each circle.

Circumference of A ____________

Circumference of B ____________

3. Write a ratio of the circumference to the diameter for each circle. What do you find?
A._______________________________

B. _______________________________

________________________________________________________________________
4. Will this ratio be the same for all circles? Why or why not?______________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Compare your ratios to the value of . Based on your investigation, explain why the
formula C = 2r works. ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. The figure on the right above shows a circle divided into sections, with the sections cut
out and placed side by side to form a parallelogram. The height represents the radius
of the circle. Since the sections are placed with opposite ends adjacent to one another,
the base represents half the circumference. Use what you know about the area of a
parallelogram to derive the formula for the area of a circle. (Hint: Substitute for the
circumference in the measure of the base.) ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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