March 11, 2015

Inscribed Angles
Pick up Pink Paper

Warm-up
Three soccer players practice kicking goals
from the points in the picture. Player A says
she has the best position to kick from
because the angle of the kick is wider than
the angle of the other players. Do you
agree?
No! Today we will discuss why this is!

Definitions
Inscribed angle an angle whose vertex is on a circle
and whose sides contain chords of the circle
Intercepted arc the arc that lies in the interior of an
inscribed angle and has endpoints on the angle

intercepted arc
inscribed angle

Are the following angles

circumscribed or inscribed angles?

Inscribed

Circumscribed

Circumscribed

Inscribed

Measure of an Inscribed Angle Theorem

If an angle is inscribed in a circle, then its measure is
half the measure of its intercepted arc.
A

mADB =

1
2

mAB

C
D

Example 1
Find the measure of the blue arc or angle.

a.

R
Q

mQTS = 2(90) = 180

b.

80

mEFG =

1
2

(80) = 40

Congruent Inscribed Angles Theorem

If two inscribed angles of a circle intercept

the same arc, then the angles are
congruent.
A

C
D

C D

Example 2

It is given that mE = 75. What is mF?

D

Since E and F both intercept

the same arc, we know that the
angles must be congruent.
E

mF = 75
F
H

Definitions
Inscribed polygon a polygon whose vertices all lie on a
circle.
Circumscribed circle A circle with an inscribed polygon.

The polygon is an inscribed polygon and

the circle is a circumscribed circle.

Inscribed Right Triangle Theorem

If a right triangle is inscribed in a circle, then the hypotenuse
is a diameter of the circle. Conversely, if one side of an
inscribed triangle is a diameter of the circle, then the triangle
is a right triangle and the angle opposite the diameter is the
right angle.

A
B is a right angle if and only if AC
is a diameter of the circle.

B
C

Inscribed Quadrilateral Theorem

A quadrilateral can be inscribed in a circle if and only if
its opposite angles are supplementary.
E
F
C
D

D, E, F, and G lie on some circle, C if and only if

mD + mF = 180 and mE + mG = 180.

Example 3
Find the value of each variable.

a.

B
Q

b.
G

C
x = 45

80

2x

2x = 90

z
120

mD + mF = 180
z + 80 = 180
z = 100

mG + mE = 180
y + 120 = 180
y = 60

True
False

True
False
True

Exit Slip: Find the value of the

variables

a = 218
b = 109

a = 85
b = 47.5
c = 90

p = 90
q = 122