# Nakafa Framework: LLM URL: /en/subject/high-school/12/mathematics/circle-arc-sector/segment Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nakafaai/nakafa.com/refs/heads/main/packages/contents/subject/high-school/12/mathematics/circle-arc-sector/segment/en.mdx Output docs content for large language models. --- export const metadata = { title: "Segment", description: "Understand circle segments bounded by chord and arc. Learn minor and major types, area calculations using sector-triangle methods, and tank applications.", authors: [{ name: "Nabil Akbarazzima Fatih" }], date: "05/26/2025", subject: "Circle Arcs and Sectors", }; import { getColor } from "@repo/design-system/lib/color"; import { LineEquation } from "@repo/design-system/components/contents/line-equation"; ## Basic Concept of Segment A segment is one part of a circle that we often encounter in daily life. Imagine a round cake that is cut with a straight knife, the part that is separated from the cake is similar to the concept of a segment in circle geometry. A segment is a region inside a circle that is bounded by a chord and the arc of the circle that is in front of the chord. In other words, a segment is the part of a circle that is "cut off" by a straight line connecting two points on the circumference of the circle. ## Difference Between Arc and Segment Before discussing further, it is important to understand the fundamental difference between arc and segment:
An arc is a curved line on the circumference of a circle that connects two points. An arc only has length (1 dimension) and has no area.} cameraPosition={[0, 0, 12]} showZAxis={false} data={[ { points: Array.from({ length: 121 }, (_, i) => { const angle = (i * 2 * Math.PI) / 120; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("INDIGO"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 1, }, { points: [ { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(5 * Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(5 * Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("VIOLET"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "Chord", at: 1, offset: [0, -0.8, 0], }, ], }, { points: Array.from({ length: 41 }, (_, i) => { const startAngle = Math.PI / 6; const endAngle = 5 * Math.PI / 6; const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 40; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("ORANGE"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 4, labels: [ { text: "Arc (curved line)", at: 20, offset: [0, 0.8, 0], }, ], }, ]} /> A segment is a region (area) inside a circle that is bounded by an arc and a chord. A segment has area (2 dimensions) and can be filled with color.} cameraPosition={[0, 0, 12]} showZAxis={false} data={[ { points: Array.from({ length: 121 }, (_, i) => { const angle = (i * 2 * Math.PI) / 120; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("INDIGO"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 1, }, { points: [ { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(5 * Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(5 * Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("VIOLET"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "Chord", at: 1, offset: [0, -0.8, 0], }, ], }, { points: Array.from({ length: 41 }, (_, i) => { const startAngle = Math.PI / 6; const endAngle = 5 * Math.PI / 6; const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 40; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("ORANGE"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 2, }, { points: (() => { const segmentPoints = []; const startAngle = Math.PI / 6; const endAngle = 5 * Math.PI / 6; for (let i = 0; i <= 40; i++) { const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 40; segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }); } segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0, }); return segmentPoints; })(), color: getColor("LIME"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 4, labels: [ { text: "Segment (area/region)", at: 20, offset: [0, 0.8, 0], }, ], }, ]} />
**Summary of Differences:** - **Arc**: Curved line on the circumference of a circle (only has length, no area) - **Segment**: Region surrounded by arc and chord (has area, can be calculated) ## Types of Segment Based on Size Based on their size, segments can be divided into two types with different characteristics:
Minor Segment (Central Angle < )} description={<>A segment whose area is smaller than half a circle, formed when the central angle is less than . This example shows a segment with a central angle of .} cameraPosition={[0, 0, 12]} showZAxis={false} data={[ // Main circle { points: Array.from({ length: 121 }, (_, i) => { const angle = (i * 2 * Math.PI) / 120; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("INDIGO"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 1, }, // Center point O { points: [{ x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }], color: getColor("ROSE"), showPoints: true, smooth: false, lineWidth: 3, labels: [ { text: "O", at: 0, offset: [-0.4, -0.4, 0], }, ], }, // Radius OA { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("CYAN"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "A", at: 1, offset: [0.4, 0.2, 0], }, ], }, // Radius OB { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(5 * Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(5 * Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("CYAN"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "B", at: 1, offset: [-0.4, 0.2, 0], }, ], }, // Central angle arc to show 120° { points: Array.from({ length: 21 }, (_, i) => { const startAngle = Math.PI / 6; const endAngle = 5 * Math.PI / 6; const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 20; return { x: 1.5 * Math.cos(angle), y: 1.5 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("AMBER"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 3, labels: [ { text: "120°", at: 10, offset: [0, -0.5, 0], }, ], }, // Chord AB { points: [ { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(5 * Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(5 * Math.PI / 6), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("PURPLE"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 3, }, // Segment (shaded area) { points: (() => { const segmentPoints = []; const startAngle = Math.PI / 6; const endAngle = 5 * Math.PI / 6; for (let i = 0; i <= 40; i++) { const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 40; segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }); } segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 6), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 6), z: 0, }); return segmentPoints; })(), color: getColor("ORANGE"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 4, labels: [ { text: "Minor Segment", at: 20, offset: [0, 0.8, 0], }, ], }, ]} /> Major Segment (Central Angle > )} description={<>A segment whose area is larger than half a circle, formed when the central angle is more than . This example shows a segment with a central angle of .} cameraPosition={[0, 0, 12]} showZAxis={false} data={[ // Main circle { points: Array.from({ length: 121 }, (_, i) => { const angle = (i * 2 * Math.PI) / 120; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("INDIGO"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 1, }, // Center point O { points: [{ x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }], color: getColor("ROSE"), showPoints: true, smooth: false, lineWidth: 3, labels: [ { text: "O", at: 0, offset: [-0.4, -0.4, 0], }, ], }, // Radius OA (using different angle for major) { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 4), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 4), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("CYAN"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "A", at: 1, offset: [0.4, 0.2, 0], }, ], }, // Radius OB { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(-75 * Math.PI / 180), y: 4 * Math.sin(-75 * Math.PI / 180), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("CYAN"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "B", at: 1, offset: [0.4, -0.4, 0], }, ], }, // Central angle arc to show 240° (using larger arc) { points: Array.from({ length: 41 }, (_, i) => { const startAngle = Math.PI / 4; const endAngle = startAngle + (240 * Math.PI / 180); // 240° in radians const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 40; return { x: 1.2 * Math.cos(angle), y: 1.2 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("AMBER"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 3, labels: [ { text: "240°", at: 35, offset: [0.5, -0.5, 0], }, ], }, // Chord AB { points: [ { x: 4 * Math.cos(Math.PI / 4), y: 4 * Math.sin(Math.PI / 4), z: 0 }, { x: 4 * Math.cos(-75 * Math.PI / 180), y: 4 * Math.sin(-75 * Math.PI / 180), z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("CYAN"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 3, }, // Major segment (shaded area) { points: (() => { const segmentPoints = []; // Following the correct central angle arc logic const startAngle = Math.PI / 4; // 45° const arcAngle = 240 * Math.PI / 180; // 240° in radians // Create arc with the exact same path as the central angle arc const numPoints = 30; for (let i = 0; i <= numPoints; i++) { const progress = i / numPoints; const angle = startAngle + progress * arcAngle; segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }); } // Ensure endpoint exactly matches point B coordinates segmentPoints[segmentPoints.length - 1] = { x: 4 * Math.cos(-75 * Math.PI / 180), y: 4 * Math.sin(-75 * Math.PI / 180), z: 0, }; // Close segment by connecting back to starting point (point A) segmentPoints.push({ x: 4 * Math.cos(startAngle), y: 4 * Math.sin(startAngle), z: 0, }); return segmentPoints; })(), color: getColor("LIME"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 4, labels: [ { text: "Major Segment", at: 20, offset: [0, -1.5, 0], }, ], }, ]} />
**Key Differences:** - **Minor Segment**: Central angle < 180°, segment area < half circle area - **Major Segment**: Central angle > 180°, segment area > half circle area ## Segment Area Formula To calculate the area of a segment, we need to understand that a segment is formed from a sector minus the triangle formed by two radii and a chord. **Why is it different from the arc length formula?** - **Arc Length** = (units: cm, m, etc.) - **Segment Area** ≠ Arc Length (because segment is a 2D area, not a 1D line)
In more detail, the formula can be written as:
Where is the central angle in degrees and is the radius of the circle. **Note the difference in units:** - Arc length: cm, m (length units) - Segment area: cm², m² (area units) ## Visualization of Segment Formation Let's see how a segment is formed from its components:
A segment is formed from sector AOB minus triangle AOB, with a central angle of and radius of 4 units.} cameraPosition={[0, 0, 12]} showZAxis={false} data={[ { points: Array.from({ length: 121 }, (_, i) => { const angle = (i * 2 * Math.PI) / 120; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("INDIGO"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 1, }, { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 4, y: 0, z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("VIOLET"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "O", at: 0, offset: [-0.3, -0.3, 0], }, { text: "A", at: 1, offset: [0.3, -0.3, 0], }, ], }, { points: [ { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 0, y: 4, z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("VIOLET"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 2, labels: [ { text: "B", at: 1, offset: [-0.3, 0.3, 0], }, ], }, { points: [ { x: 4, y: 0, z: 0 }, { x: 0, y: 4, z: 0 }, ], color: getColor("LIME"), showPoints: false, smooth: false, lineWidth: 3, labels: [ { text: "Chord AB", at: 1, offset: [2.5, 0.5, 0], }, ], }, { points: Array.from({ length: 46 }, (_, i) => { const startAngle = 0; const endAngle = Math.PI / 2; const angle = startAngle + (i * (endAngle - startAngle)) / 45; return { x: 4 * Math.cos(angle), y: 4 * Math.sin(angle), z: 0, }; }), color: getColor("FUCHSIA"), showPoints: false, smooth: true, lineWidth: 4, labels: [ { text: "Arc AB (90°)", at: 23, offset: [2, 0.5, 0], }, ], }, ]} />
## Segment Area Calculation To understand how to calculate the area of a segment, let's use an example with a central angle of and radius cm, according to the visualization of segment formation components above. **Step 1: Calculate Sector Area**
**Step 2: Calculate Triangle Area** For a angle, the triangle formed is a right triangle with both perpendicular sides being radii:
**Step 3: Calculate Segment Area**
## Exercises 1. A circle has a radius of 7 cm. If there is a segment with a central angle of 60°, determine the area of the segment. 2. A segment is known to have an area of 15.7 cm² on a circle with a radius of 5 cm. Determine the central angle that forms the segment. 3. A cylindrical tank with a radius of 2 meters contains water up to a depth of 1.5 meters from the bottom of the tank. Determine the area of the water surface visible from above. ### Answer Key 1. **Solution Steps:** Given: , Calculate sector area:
Calculate triangle area:
Calculate segment area:
2. **Solution Steps:** Given: Segment area = 15.7 cm², Using the formula: Using trial and numerical approximation or graphing calculator, we get: Verification:
The calculated result () is slightly different from what is given in the problem (). This difference is due to the precision of the values and used. Mathematically, the calculated result is the most accurate. 3. **Solution Steps:** Given: tank radius = 2 m, water depth = 1.5 m Since the water depth (1.5 m) is less than the radius (2 m), the water surface forms a segment. For horizontal cylindrical tanks, we use a special segment formula with a specific height. Determine segment height from tank bottom:
Using the segment area formula for water segment in horizontal tanks:
Substitute values:
Calculate water surface area: