Pre-AP Geometry Name ___________________________________

Explore Explain 12.2 Arc Length & Radian Measure Period _____________ Date _______

Radian Measure
Fill in the missing blanks (use correct notation). _____ _____
Label the quadrants and the x and y axis. __ __

_____ _____
_____ _____
__ __
__ __

_____ 180° 0° _____

__

_____ _____ 315° ______

__ __

_____ _____
__ __
Given: radius = 1 unit Circumference of a circle = 2πr
If the radius is 1, what is the circumference of the circle? ___________________
Taking the circumference you found above, what would be the arc length of 180°? _____
What would be the arc length of 90°? ______ 270°? ______ 45°? _______

Mathematicians have another way to represent the measure of an angle. This is called a radian measure. We
have a formula to convert between degree and radian measure. (i.e. 360⁰=2π)
𝜋
Degrees to Radians: Multiply the degree measure by
180

180
Radians to Degrees: Multiply the radian measure by
𝜋
Examples:
1. Convert the following angles from degree to radian measure in terms of .
a. 45 b. 135

c. 225⁰ d. 315⁰

2. Convert the following angles from radian measure to degree.

 5
a. b.
6 3
Arc Length
PROBLEM: The high school athletic department needs to build the fence along the outfield of the
softball field.
a) The outfield fence is an arc of a circle.
What is the circumference of this circle?
Fence
b) What is the degree measure of the central angle of this arc?

c) The field is what fraction of the circle?

d) What is the length of the outfield fence?

190 feet
We can use what we just did in #1 to figure out the ARC LENGTH of any circle given the radius and
the measure of the central angle.

Can you come up with a formula to find the arc length of a circle?

ARC LENGTH = if θ = measure of the arc (central angle)

Set up as a proportion!

Practice it on these:
1. C is the center of each circle. Find the length of each darkened arc. Leave answer in terms of .

a) b)
120°
C 8 cm 8 cm C

Arc length= Arc length=

2. If the circumference of a circle is 400, find the diameter, radius, and the length of an arc of 240.

d=

r=

Arc Length =