Action Figure 1
|
Using the action figure on the left, click and hold on the small blue square and move it around the circle. Notice the right triangle can be drawn for every point (x, y) on the circle. |
Now that we have created a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find an equation of a circle with a centre at the origin. This equation is: x2 + y2 = r2. |
Notice that this equation is the same as the standard equation for a circle centred at the origin found using the Distance Formula.
This is because the Distance Formula and the Pythagorean Theorem are equivalent. That is, you can derive either one easily from the other. |