ACT Math · Circles, arcs, and sectors

A circle has diameter 20. What is the length of an arc with a central angle of 72°?

A circle has diameter 20. What is the length of an arc with a central angle of 72°?

Answer and explanation

Answer: A: 4π

The diameter is 2020, so the radius is 1010 and the circumference is 2π(10)=20π2\pi(10)=20\pi. The arc is 72360=15\frac{72}{360}=\frac{1}{5} of the circle, so its length is 15⋅20π=4π\frac{1}{5}\cdot20\pi=4\pi, choice A. Choice C (10π10\pi) is half the circumference, the arc for 180∘180^\circ. Choice B (8π8\pi) is 25\frac{2}{5} of the circumference, for 144∘144^\circ. Choice D (14.4π14.4\pi) uses 72%72\% of the circumference rather than 72360\frac{72}{360}. Use the radius in 2πr2\pi r, not the diameter, to find the circumference.

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