Circle theorems worksheet — GCSE Higher

1.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O. B is on the major arc AC. Angle AOC = 116°. Work out the size of angle ABC.

2.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O. B is on the minor arc AC. Angle ABC = 100°. Work out the size of the non-reflex angle AOC.

3.AT is a diameter of a circle with centre O. PT is a tangent to the circle at the point T, and P is a point on this tangent such that A, T and P form a triangle. Angle PAT = 28°. Work out the size of angle APT.

4.A ferris wheel's circular frame has centre O. A support strut runs from O to a point A on the rim, and a second strut runs from O to point B on the rim, with angle AOB = 76°. A cabin is mounted at point C on the major arc AB, and D is a separate point on the minor arc AB. Work out the difference between angle ACB and angle ADB.

5.ABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral, with its vertices in that order around the circle. Angle DAB = 108°. Work out the size of angle BCD.

6.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O, and AC is a diameter of the circle. Work out the size of angle ABC.

7.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O, and AB is a diameter. Prove that angle ACB = 90°, using the fact that triangle OAC and triangle OBC are both isosceles. In the proof, angle OAC = angle OCA = x and angle OBC = angle OCB = y. Which equation correctly expresses the angle sum of triangle ABC in terms of x and y, and leads to the required proof?

8.From an external point P, two tangents PA and PB touch a circle with centre O at A and B. Angle APB = 40°. Work out the size of angle AOB.

9.From an external point P, two tangents PA and PB touch a circle with centre O at A and B. Angle AOB = 112°. Work out the size of angle APB.

10.A circle with centre O has radius 17 cm. A chord AB is drawn so that the perpendicular distance from O to AB is 8 cm. Work out the length of the chord AB.

11.ABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral, with its vertices in that order around the circle. Angle DAB = (2x + 10)° and angle DCB = (3x − 5)°. Work out the size of angle DAB.

12.PT is a tangent to a circle with centre O, touching the circle at T. C is a point on the circle such that C lies inside angle OTP (the right angle between the radius OT and the tangent PT), and OC is a radius. Angle TOC = 130°. Work out the size of angle PTC, the angle between the tangent PT and the chord TC.

13.From an external point P, two tangents PA and PB touch a circle with centre O at the points A and B. Angle APB = 46°. C is a point on the major arc AB, the arc on the opposite side of AB from P. Work out the size of angle ACB.

14.PT is a tangent to a circle with centre O, touching the circle at T. OT is a radius. Angle OPT = 27°, where P is a point outside the circle. Work out the size of angle POT.

15.At a cycling event, a circular track has centre O. Two flags, F and M, are fixed on the track. A course marker P is also on the track, positioned so that angle FOP = 55° and angle POM = 43°, with P between F and M as seen from O. A spectator S stands on the major arc FM, on the opposite side of the track from P. The event programme needs angle FSM. Work out angle FSM.