What is a segment of a circle?
Answer
A segment of a circle is the region enclosed between a chord and the arc it cuts off.
The working
Definition
A chord divides the circular region into two parts, and each such part bounded by the chord and an arc is called a segment.
Two types
The smaller region is the minor segment and the larger region is the major segment. The chord is the common boundary between them.
Difference from sector
A segment is bounded by a chord and an arc, while a sector is bounded by two radii and an arc.
Area formula
Area of a minor segment = area of sector − area of triangle = (θ÷360) × πr² − (1÷2)r² sin θ, where θ is the central angle.
Example
A chord drawn across a circle cuts off a small curved region above it, which is the minor segment.
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