Q&A for How to Find Arc Length

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  • Question
    How do you calculate the length of an arc?
    Mario Banuelos, PhD
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Mario Banuelos is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over eight years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in mathematical biology, optimization, statistical models for genome evolution, and data science. Mario holds a BA in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels.
    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Expert Answer
    To find the arc length, set up the formula Arc length = 2 x pi x radius x (arc's central angle/360), where the arc's central angle is measured in degrees.
  • Question
    How do l find the arc length if I'm not given the central angle?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    If you're not given the central angle, you'll typically be given the sector area of the arc. To find the arc length with a sector area, multiply the sector area by 2. Then, divide the product by the radius squared ((SA*2)/r^2). Your answer gives you the central angle in radians. You now have the central angle in radians, so simply multiply the central angle by the radius to find the arc length.
  • Question
    Is the measurement of an inscribed angle half the measurement of the central angle that intercepts the same arc?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    That is correct. The vertex of an inscribed angle is on the outside of a circle. When an inscribed angle and a central angle share the same arc on a circle, the inscribed angle is equal to half of the measure of the central angle. The inscribed angle is also equal to half the measure of the arc.
  • Question
    How do I find the radius of a circle if I'm given the arc length and central angle?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    If you know the arc length and central angle, just plug them into the above formula and solve for r. If the central angle is in degrees, use the formula arc length = 2*pi*r(θ/360). If the central angle is in radians, use the formula arc length = r*θ.
  • Question
    Do you leave the answer in decimal form or in terms of pi?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Some people like to convert pi to 3.14 and solve for the arc length's value, while others express the arc length in terms of pi. Just ask your teacher whether they want a decimal value for arc length or if it's okay to keep the arc length simplified in terms of pi.
  • Question
    What is an arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It's the linear distance measured along the curve of an arc from one end to the other.
  • Question
    How do I measure the arc central angle in radians?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    1 radian = 57.3°, so divide the central angle by 57.3° to get radians.
  • Question
    How can I find the central angle when only the radius is given?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It's not possible. You need more information.
  • Question
    If the radius of 3 m of a circle makes angle of pi/4, then what will be its corresponding arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If the arc has a central angle of π/4, and the arc length is the radius multiplied by the central angle, then (3)(π/4) = 3π/4 = 2.36 m.
  • Question
    How do I find the volume of a cylinder?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Multiply the square of the radius by pi and by the height (or length) of the cylinder.
  • Question
    How do I measure arc length for circular tank if I only know that the diameter of the circle is 18.60 meters?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    An arc is a portion of the circumference of a circle. If you're asking about the full circumference of the tank, that would be 18.60 multiplied by pi.
  • Question
    How do I use another arc to find arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Assuming the two arcs are part of the same circle, you would have to know the central angles of each arc. The ratio of the two arc lengths would be equal to the ratio of their respective central angles.
  • Question
    How do I find the arc length of a semicircle if its diameter is 9?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The arc length of a semicircle is half the circumference of the full circle. The circumference of a circle is πd, which in this case is 9π, or 28.26 units. That means the arc length of the semicircle is 14.13 units.
  • Question
    If the radius of an arc is 1500 m, how do I calculate angle?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    You would also need to know the arc length. Then use the arc length formula in Method 1 above, and work backwards to solve for the angle. Thus the central angle equals the arc length multiplied by 360°, then divided by 2πr.
  • Question
    How do I measure the arc central angle in degrees?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you're given the central angle in radians, multiply by 180° and divide by pi. That's equivalent to multiplying the angle in radians by 57.29°.
  • Question
    If the angle and radius are not provided, how can we find the arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    We can't.
  • Question
    How do I find the measurement of the central angle of an arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    You would also have to know the radius. The central angle equals the arc length multiplied by 180, divided by the product of pi and the radius. That is, [(180)(arc length)] / πr.
  • Question
    How do I find the area of a sector if I am only given the length of an arc and the radius?
    Community Answer
    Multiply arc length by radius and divide by 2. It's similar to the area of a triangle because a thin wedge of circle approximates a triangle. You could also derive it from the pi r^2 formula for the area of a whole circle times the fraction of circle your arc represents (arc/2pir).
  • Question
    If I only have the arc length and the central angle, how do I find the radius?
    Community Answer
    The formula relating arc length and central angle measure is arc length = θ(r) or r = arc length/θ.
  • Question
    How do I find the arc length when all I have is the radius and the chord? The radius and the chord are congruent.
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If the radius and the chord are congruent, that means their lengths are the same. That means they form an equilateral triangle with the adjacent radius. That means the central angle for that chord is 60°, which is one-sixth of 360°. So the arc is one-sixth of the circle's circumference.
  • Question
    How do I find the arc of a circle with a diameter of 75 inches?
    Community Answer
    Work backwards. Your diameter is 75 inches so split it in half to get the radius which is 37.5. then use the first formula above to figure out the rest.
  • Question
    How do I find the radius if I am already given the arc length?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    That wouldn't be enough information. You would need to know the central angle, too. Divide the central angle by 360°, multiply that number by 2π (6.28), and finally divide that product into the arc length. That gives you the radius.
  • Question
    I have an inscribed angle that is 92 degrees, how do I find the measure of the arc?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    You would also need to know the radius before you could find the arc length.
  • Question
    What is the arc length in terms of pi? What do they mean "in terms of pi"?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    That means to include "π" when expressing the arc length. The expression is (2πr)(Ø/360°), where "Ø" is the central angle in degrees.
  • Question
    How do I calculate the area of a circle sector?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    You would have to know the radius and the central angle of the sector. The formula is A = (πr²)(Ø/360°), where A is the sector's area, r is the circle's radius, and Ø is the sector's central angle in degrees.
  • Question
    A circle divided in to 8 equal parts find arc. Here r=15 feet.
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The diameter is twice the radius = 30 feet. The circumference is pi times the diameter = 94.25 feet. The length of each arc is one-eighth of the circumference = 11.78 feet.
  • Question
    Can you also add how to find the length of the arc of a circle when the circle's central angle is not given to you?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It can't be done. You have to know the central angle and the radius.
  • Question
    Is the denominator always 360?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Yes, because all circles have a central angle of 360°.
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