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Central and Inscribed Angle in a Circle

Given two points on a circle, lines from them to the center of the circle form the central angle.

The inscribed angle is the angle subtended at a point on the circle by two given points on the circle. An inscribed angle is defined by two chords of the circle sharing an end point.

Euclid enumerates several propositions about a circle, for example:

III.20. In a circle the angle at the center is double the angle at the circunference, when the rays forming the angles meet the circunference in the same two points.

This is the Central Angle Theorem: The central angle subtended by two points on a circle is twice the inscribed angle subtended by those points.

III.21. In a circle, a chord subtends equal angles at any two points on the same one of the two arcs determined by the chord.

In a circle, a chord subtends equal angles at any two points on the same one of the two arcs determined by the chord | matematicasvisuales

III.32. If a chord of a circle be drawn from the point of contact of a tangent, the angle made by the chord with the tangent is equal to the angle subtended by the chord at a point on that part of the circunference which lies on the far side of the chord.

If a chord of a circle be drawn from the point of contact of a tangent, the angle made by the chord with the tangent is equal to the angle subtended by the chord at a point on that part of the circunference | matematicasvisuales

The demostration of the Central Angle Theorem can be done distinguishing several cases. To start with you can see an interactive approach to a demostration of the Central and inscribed angles in a circle |Case I.

REFERENCES

Euclides, The Elements

MORE LINKS

Central and inscribed angles in a circle | Mostration | Case II
Interactive 'Mostation' of the property of central and inscribed angles in a circle. Case II: When one chord that forms the inscribed angle is a diameter.
Central and inscribed angles in a circle | Mostration | General Case
Interactive 'Mostation' of the property of central and inscribed angles in a circle. The general case is proved.
Drawing fifteen degrees angles
Using a ruler and a compass we can draw fifteen degrees angles. These are basic examples of the central and inscribed in a circle angles property.
Pythagoras Theorem: Euclid's demonstration
Demonstration of Pythagoras Theorem inspired in Euclid.
Wallace-Simson lines
Each point in the circle circunscribed to a triangle give us a line (Wallace-Simson line)
Wallace-Simson lines | Demonstration
Interactive demonstration of the Wallace-Simson line.
Drawing a regular pentagon with ruler and compass
You can draw a regular pentagon given one of its sides constructing the golden ratio with ruler and compass.
Durer's approximation of a Regular Pentagon
In his book 'Underweysung der Messung' Durer draw a non-regular pentagon with ruler and a fixed compass. It is a simple construction and a very good approximation of a regular pentagon.
The Diagonal of a Regular Pentagon and the Golden Ratio
The diagonal of a regular pentagon are in golden ratio to its sides and the point of intersection of two diagonals of a regular pentagon are said to divide each other in the golden ratio or 'in extreme and mean ratio'.