how to find the center of a circle

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Finding the center of a circle can help you perform basic geometric tasks like finding the circumference or area. There are several ways to find the center point! You can draw crossed lines, you can draw overlapping circles, or you can use a straightedge and ruler.

1
Draw a circle. Use a compass, or trace any circular object. The size of the circle does not matter. If you're finding the center of an existing circle, then you don't need to draw a new circle.
- A geometry compass is a tool specifically designed to draw and measure circles. Buy one in a school or office supply store!^[1]
2
Sketch a chord between two points. A chord is a straight line segment that links any two points along the edge of a curve.^[2] Name the chord AB.
- Consider using a pencil to sketch your lines. This way, you can erase the marks once you've found the center. Draw with a light touch so that it'll be easier to erase.
3

Draw a second chord. This line should be parallel and equal in length to the first chord that you drew. Name this new chord CD.^[3]
4

Make another line between A and C. This third chord (AC) should stretch through the center of the circle – but you will need to draw one more line to find the exact center point.
5

Join B and D. Draw one final chord (BD) across the circle between Point B and Point D. This new line should cross over the third chord (AC) that you drew.
6

Find the center. If you have drawn straight and accurate lines, then the center of the circle lies at the intersection of the crossed lines AC and BD.^[4] Mark the center point with a pen or pencil. If you only want the center point marked, then erase the four chords that you drew.

1

Draw a chord between two points. Use a ruler or straightedge to draw a straight line inside the circle, from one edge to another. The points that you use don't matter. Label the two points A and B.
2
Use a compass to draw two overlapping circles. The circles should be the exact same size. Make A the center of one circle, and B the center of the other. Space the two circles so that they overlap like a Venn diagram.
- Draw these circles in pencil, not pen. The process will be simpler if you are able to erase these circles later on.
3

Draw a vertical line through the two points at which the circles intersect. There will be a point at the top and a point at the bottom of the "Venn diagram" space created between the overlap of the circles. Use a ruler to make sure that the line protrudes straight through these points. Finally, label the two points (C and D) at which this new line crosses the rim of the original circle. This line marks the diameter of the original circle.
4

Erase the two overlapping circles. This should clear up your work space for the next step of the process. Now, you should have a circle with two perpendicular lines running through it. Do not erase the center points (A and B) of these circles! You will be drawing two new circles.
5

Sketch two new circles. Use your compass to draw two equal circles: one with the point C at its center, and one with the point D. These circles, too, should overlap like a Venn diagram. Remember: C and D are the points at which the vertical line intersects the main circle.
6

Draw a line through the points at which these new circles intersect. This straight, horizontal line should cut through the overlap space of the two new circles. This line is the second diameter of your original circle, and it should be exactly perpendicular to the first diameter line.
7

Find the center. The intersection point of the two straight diameter lines is the exact center of the circle! Mark this center point for reference. If you want to clean up the page, feel free to erase the diameter lines and the non-original circles.

1

Draw two straight, intersecting tangent lines onto the circle. The lines can be completely random. However, the process will be easier if you make them roughly square or rectangular.^[5]
2

Translate both of the lines to the other side of the circle. You will end up with four tangent lines forming a parallelogram or a rough rectangle.
3

Draw the diagonals of the parallelogram. The point where these diagonal lines intersect is the circle's center.
4

Check the accuracy of the center with a compass. The center should be on target as long as you didn't slip while translating the lines or when drawing the diagonals. Feel free to erase the parallelogram and diagonal lines.

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Question

How do you find the center of a circle if you're only given the equation?

David Jia is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of LA Math Tutoring, a private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. With over 10 years of teaching experience, David works with students of all ages and grades in various subjects, as well as college admissions counseling and test preparation for the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and more. After attaining a perfect 800 math score and a 690 English score on the SAT, David was awarded the Dickinson Scholarship from the University of Miami, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Additionally, David has worked as an instructor for online videos for textbook companies such as Larson Texts, Big Ideas Learning, and Big Ideas Math.

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Question

How do you find the center of the circle if you're only given the endpoints of the diameter?

David Jia is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of LA Math Tutoring, a private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. With over 10 years of teaching experience, David works with students of all ages and grades in various subjects, as well as college admissions counseling and test preparation for the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and more. After attaining a perfect 800 math score and a 690 English score on the SAT, David was awarded the Dickinson Scholarship from the University of Miami, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Additionally, David has worked as an instructor for online videos for textbook companies such as Larson Texts, Big Ideas Learning, and Big Ideas Math.

Academic Tutor

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Question

In the first method, what do I do if the chords are of different lengths?

It's not easy to construct parallel chords of equal length. In practice, it would be a process of trial and error until you get the chords you need. But the real goal here is to find the center of a circle, and here's a way to do it without worrying about equal and parallel chords: (1) draw any two or more chords; (2) perpendicularly bisect each chord (using either a compass or a ruler and right triangle; (3) the perpendicular bisectors will intersect at the circle's center.
Question

What is the center of a circle?

It is the one point that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
Question

If I use a compass to draw a circle, is the pivot point the center?

Yes, the point of a compass is placed at the center of a circle drawn by the compass. The object of this article, however, is to find the center of a circle that you have not drawn.
Question

How do I find the center of a circle using a pencil only, nothing else?

It cannot be done accurately. Imagine trying to do it with a very large circle.
Question

Why not find the longest distance in the circle with a straight edge, divide the measurement in half, put a dot at that measurement you're done? No marks on the page, so simple.

While your method is quick and easy, it's not guaranteed to be absolutely accurate. There's a bit of guesswork involved. The methods described above introduce an element of guesswork, too, but they're designed to come extremely close to the center of the circle.
Question

How do I find the center of a circular piece of wood? If I use your first method, how do I determine if lines AB and CD are parallel?

Measure the lengths of the two diagonal lines (AD and BC). If the lengths are equal, AB and CD are parallel.
Question

I want to make a coin ring and need to find the center of a quarter dollar. It is tough to draw a lot of lines on the uneven surface. Any ideas?

Trace the outline of the coin on a piece of (heavy) paper. Locate the center of the paper circle. Punch a small hole through the center. Cut out the circle. Place it directly over the coin. Use a fine-tipped marking pen to mark the center through the paper.
Question

Is the point of intersection of two diameters of the same circle its centre?

Yes, the point of intersection is its center.

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Try using graph paper instead of blank or ruled paper. It might help to have the perpendicular lines and boxes for guidance.
You can also find the center of a circle by mathematically "completing the square."^[6] This is useful if you are given a circle equation, but you aren't working with a physical circle.
If you have right angled square, place the corner anywhere along the circumference. Draw the 2 lines that intersect the circumference. Draw a line between those 2 points. Repeat on any other point on the circle. Where the lines intersect is the centrepoint.

A straightedge is not the same as a ruler. A straightedge can be any straight and even surface, but a ruler shows measurements. You can turn a straightedge into a functional ruler by marking it with inch or centimeter increments.
In order to find the true center of a circle, you must use a geometric compass and a straightedge.

Things You'll Need

Pencil
Paper
Straightedge
Geometric compass
Grid paper

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To find the center of a circle, start by drawing a straight line between 2 points on the circle. Don't worry about trying to draw the straight line so it's in the center -- anywhere on the circle will do. Then, draw a second straight line that's parallel to the first line on the opposite side of the circle. Next, draw a diagonal line from the first end of the first line to the opposite end of the second line. Repeat with the other two ends so that you've drawn an "X." The point where the lines intersect is the center of the circle! If you want to learn how to draw overlapping circles to find the center, keep reading the article!

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