Grade 8 Mathematics

HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
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Length of Arc and Area of Sector In general, if the angle of a sector is 𝑥°, then

The figure below shows a circle with a centre

𝑂.

1. The length of its arc:

𝒙° 𝒙°
× 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 = × 𝟐𝝅𝒓
𝟑𝟔𝟎° 𝟑𝟔𝟎°

The line 𝑃𝑄 is called a chord. 𝑃𝑅𝑄 which is a 2. The area of its sector:
part of the circumference is called an arc. The 𝒙° 𝒙°
arc 𝑃𝑅𝑄 is called the minor arc and 𝑃𝑆𝑄, the × 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 = × 𝝅𝒓𝟐
𝟑𝟔𝟎° 𝟑𝟔𝟎°
major arc.
Example 1:
The figure below shows a circle with a Find the area and the perimeter of a sector of
centre 𝑂. a circle with radius 14 cm, given that the angle
at the centre of the circle is 144°.

Example 2:
The figure shows a quadrant of a circle of a
radius 10 cm. Find the area of the shaded
region, give your answer correct to 3
significant figures.

The part of a circle enclosed by any two radii

and an arc of the circle is called sector.
The shaded region enclosed by the radii 𝑂𝐴,
𝑂𝐵 and the minor arc 𝐴𝐵 is called a minor Example 3:
sector of the circle. The region enclosed by In the given figure, 𝑂 is the centre of a circle
the radii 𝑂𝐴, 𝑂𝐵 and the minor arc 𝐴𝐷𝐵 is of radius 9 cm and ∠𝐴𝑂𝐵 = 150°.
called a major sector of the circle. Find
(a) the length of the minor arc,
(b) the area of the major sector.
Leaving your answers in terms of 𝜋.

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 1 of 6

 Grade 8 Mathematics
HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Example 4:
In the diagram, 𝐴𝐵 is an arc of a circle with (c)
centre 𝑂 and radius 14 m. 𝐷𝐶 is an arc of a
circle, centre 𝑂 and radius 28 m. 𝑂𝐴𝐷 and
14
𝑂𝐵𝐶 are straight lines and ∠𝐷𝑂𝐶 = 45°.

14
16
14
12
(d)
45°
7

22 7
Taking 𝜋 to be , calculate
7
(a) the perimeter of the shaded region 12
𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷,
(b) the area of the shaded region 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷. 2. Calculate the area of the shaded region in
each of the following figures. Give your
Exercise 2 answers correct to 3 significant figures.
1. Find the perimeter and the area of the (a)
shaded regions in the following diagrams.
All dimensions are in cm. Give your
answer correct to 3 significant figures.
(a)

Area of ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶 = 35 cm2

7

(b)
7

10
7 cm
(b)
6 cm

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 2 of 6

 Grade 8 Mathematics
HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(c) 4. In the diagram, 𝑃𝑄 is an arc of a circle with

centre 𝑂 and radius 28 cm. 𝑅𝑆 is an arc of
a circle centre 𝑂 and radius 35 cm. 𝑂𝑃𝑆
and 𝑂𝑄𝑅 are straight lines and the
perimeter of the shaded region is 58 cm.
Find ∠𝑆𝑂𝑅.

(d)

5. A kite is in the form of a sector of a circle

of radius 14 cm. If arc length is 22 cm,
3. For each of the following circles, find the calculate the area of the paper used in
perimeter and the area of the minor making the kite.
sector. Leaving your answers in 3
significant figures. 6. The entire figure shows a pattern made of
(a) straight lines, semicircular arcs and arcs
of quadrants of circles. Calculate the total
length of a metal strip required to make
such a pattern.

(b)

120°

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 3 of 6

 Grade 8 Mathematics
HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Radian Complete the table below.

𝑥° 0° 30° 36° … 60°
A radian (rad) is the measure of an angle 𝜋 𝜋
subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc 𝑥 rad 0 … …
6 4
equal in length to the radius of the circle.

𝑥° 90° … 360°
3𝜋
𝑥 rad … …
2

Example 1:
Convert the following angles from radians to
degrees.

(a) rad (b) 1.5 rad
In general, we have: 12

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 Example 2:

𝜽(𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐝) = Convert the following angles from degrees to
𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐬
radians.
Referring to the figure above, if (a) 27° (b) 315°
• arc 𝑀𝑁 = 𝑟, then ∠𝑀𝑂𝑁 = 1 rad,
• arc 𝑀𝑁 = 2𝑟, then ∠𝑀𝑂𝑁 = 2 rad, Exercise 3A:
• arc 𝑀𝑁 = 2𝜋𝑟, then ∠𝑀𝑂𝑁 = 2𝜋 rad. 1. Convert the following angles from
degrees to radians, giving your answers in
When 𝑀𝑁 = 2𝜋𝑟, it means the arc is the terms of 𝜋.
circumference of the circle and implies the (a) 15° (b) 18°
angle would be 360° (a complete rotation). (c) 75° (d) 225°
Hence,
2. Convert the following angles from radians
2𝜋 rad = 360° to degrees, giving your answers correct to
1 decimal place where necessary.
𝝅 rad = 𝟏𝟖𝟎° 3 5
(a) (b)
4 6
𝟏𝟖𝟎° 6
𝟏 𝐫𝐚𝐝 = ≈ 𝟓𝟕. 𝟑° (c) (d) 3.2
𝝅 7
3. Convert the following angles from
𝝅
𝟏° = 𝐫𝐚𝐝 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟕𝟒𝟔 𝐫𝐚𝐝 degrees to radians, giving your answers
𝟏𝟖𝟎
correct to 3 significant figures.
(a) 25° (b) 37.4°
(c) 142° (d) 308°

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 4 of 6

 Grade 8 Mathematics
HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arc Length and Area of Sector Example 4:

A circle of radius 5.5.cm has a sector with area
In the figure below, arc 𝑀𝑁 subtends an angle 30.25 cm2. Calculate the perimeter of this
of 𝜃rad at the centre 𝑂 of the circle. Let 𝑠 be sector.
the arc length 𝑀𝑁 and 𝐴 be the area of the
sector 𝑀𝑂𝑁.

Exercise 3B:
The arc length (𝒔): 1. For a sector 𝑂𝐴𝐵, with centre 𝑂, radius 𝑟,
arc length 𝐴𝐵 = 𝑠 cm and ∠𝐴𝑂𝐵 = 𝜃 rad,
𝒔 = 𝒓𝜽, where 𝜃 is in radians.
find the missing values in the table below:
The area of the sector (𝑨):
1 𝟐
𝑨= 𝒓 𝜽, where 𝜃 is in radians.
2
When the angles are not in radians (in
degrees instead), to find the arc length and
area of the sector, we use the formulae in
page 1.

Example 3:
The diagram shows a sector 𝑂𝐴𝐵 of radius 8
cm and a perimeter 23 cm. Find 𝒓 𝜽 𝒔 Area
(a) ∠𝐴𝑂𝐵 in rad,
(a) 4 1.25 … …
(b) area of sector 𝐴𝑂𝐵.
(b) 6 … 9 …
(c) … 0.8 9.6 …
(d) … 1.2 … 60
(e) 8 … … 64
(f) … … 6 27

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 5 of 6

 Grade 8 Mathematics
HANDOUT 2
Mensuration – Arc Length, Sector Area,
Radian Measure
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. For each of the following sectors with the (b) Write down an expression, in terms of
given radius and angle, find the arc length 𝜋, for the size of reflex ∠𝐴𝑂𝐵.
and the area of the sector.
(a) 𝑟 = 6 cm, 𝜃 = 1.6 rad (c) Find the length of major arc 𝐴𝐶𝐵,
(b) 𝑟 = 14 cm, 𝜃 = 0.25 rad giving your answer in the form 𝑎 + 𝑏𝜋,
3 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are rational numbers.
(c) 𝑟 = 12 cm, 𝜃 = rad
4

3. An arc of a circle subtends an angle of 2

rad at the centre. If the area of the sector
formed is 64 cm2, find the radius of the
circle.

4. Given that the perimeter of the sector

𝐴𝑂𝐵 is 20 cm and that the area is 24 cm2,
calculate the values of 𝜃 and 𝑟.

5. 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶 are points on a circle with

centre 𝑂 and radius 5 cm, with obtuse
∠𝐴𝑂𝐵 = 1.8 radians.

(a) Find the area of minor sector 𝐴𝑂𝐵.

Grade 8ABCDEF Page 6 of 6