SL 3.4—Arc length and sector area
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2021
- Objective
- —
- Level
- SL
At SL, an angle θ in degrees selects the fraction θ/360 of a full circle. Therefore arc length is s=(θ/360)(2πr) and sector area is A=(θ/360)(πr2).
Use the radius, not the diameter, and keep the angle in degrees. A perimeter of a sector includes the curved arc plus two radii, while the area formula includes only the sector region.
For r=6 cm and θ=120∘, s=(120/360)(12π)=4π cm and A=(120/360)(36π)=12π cm2. The sector perimeter is 12+4π cm.
Radians are not required at SL. Do not use s=rθ unless θ is in radians, and do not report area in linear units.