The Construction of Circles To Satisfy Given Conditions: Is, of Course, The Circle. After The Wheel Had Been Invented
The Construction of Circles To Satisfy Given Conditions: Is, of Course, The Circle. After The Wheel Had Been Invented
The Construction of Circles To Satisfy Given Conditions: Is, of Course, The Circle. After The Wheel Had Been Invented
About 6000 years ago, an unknown Mesopot amian made symmetry and simplicity has led artists and craftsmen to
one of the greatest invention s of all time, the wheel. This use the circle as a basis for design for many thousands
was the most importan t practical applicati on ever made of years.
of a shape that fascinate d early mathema ticians. The shape
Definition s
is, of course, the circle. After the wheel had been invented,
A circle is the locus of a point which moves so that it is
the Mesopotamians found many more applicati ons for
always a fixed distance from another stationary point.
the circle than just for transport . The potter's wheel was
Concentric circles are circles that have the same centre.
developed and vessels were made much more accurately
Eccentric circles are circles that are not concentric.
and quickly. Pulleys were invented and engineers and Fig. 4/1 shows some of the parts of the circle.
builders were able to raise heavy weights. Since that
time, the circle has been the most importan t geometric Constructions
shape in the developm ent of all forms of engineering. The length of the circumference of a circle is no or 2 nR,
Apart from its practical applicati ons, the circle has an where D is the diameter and R the radius of the circle.
aesthetic value which makes it unique amongst plane n is the ratio of the diameter to the circumference and
figures. The ancients called it 'the perfect curve' and its may be taken as 22/7 or, more accurately, as 3 .142.
RADIU S------ -
ARC-----
SECANT
CENTRE ----.....
CHORD-
QUADRAN T-
Fig. 4/1
If yo u need to dra w the To co ns tru ct th e cir cu
circumference of a circle mf ere nc e of a cir cle g·
is required qu ite often in (this the dia me ter ( Fig. 4/2
subsequent chapters), you )
eit he r calculate it, or use sho uld 1. Dr aw a sem i-c irc le of ' •ven
the construction sho wn the giv en diameter AB
4/2 . Tt:iis con str uct ion is in Fig. 2. From B mark off three tim c
no t exact bu t is accurate es the diameter, sc : ent
for mo st needs. For the enough 3. From O dra w a line re 0 .
sake of thoroughness at 300 to OA to meet
responding construction , the cor - circle in 0 . the .
, tha t of fin din g the dia
fro m the circumference. meter 4. From O dra w a line pe sern,.
is sh ow n in Fig. 4/3 . rpe nd icu lar to OA to me
E. et OA .
~- ...: .A m
E i- :- -~ 5. Jo in EC.
EC is the required cir cum
fer en ce .
3 x GI VE N DI A
Fig. 4/2
T~ co ns tru ct th e dia
me ter of a cir cle , giv
cir cu mf ere nc e (Fi g. 4/3 en the
)
A r - - - - - - f F_ _ _-f-_ _ _
D IA M ET ER
__ li E ~ - - - ~ B
GI VE N
Fig. 4/3
mference AB.
1. Draw the given circu 2 lines to
2. Bisect AB in C. · _Draw perpendicular bisectors through these
• intersect in o.
radius CA • draw a sem·1-circ
3· With centre C, and 1e gh all three
With cent re B, and radiu s BC, draw an arc t · O ~s the centre of a circle which passes throu
4 . o cut the points.
· · I ·
sem1-circ e in .
o
cut AB in E.
5. From D draw a perpe~dicular to AB, to To cons truc t the inscribed circle of
any regular
cut AB• F
6. With centre E and radius ED draw an arc to '" · pol~gon (in this case, a trian gle) (Fig.
4/6)
AF is the required diameter. two of the inter ior angles to intersect in O.
1. Bisect any
The rest of this chap ter show s some of the cons rue _
t through
. d' . 1 ( If the third angle is bisected it should also pass
fy certain given
tions for f,n mg circ es draw n to satis 0 .)
e is called
conditions. 0 is the centre of the inscribed circle . This centr
the incentre.
To find the cen tre of any circ le (Fig. 4/4)
1. Draw any two chords.
chords to
2. Construct perp endi cula r bisectors to these
intersect in 0 .
ois the centre of the circle.
Fig. 4/6
e of any
To cons truc t the circu msc ribe d circl
(Fig. 4/7)
regu lar poly gon (in this case a trian gle)
sect in 0 .
1. Perpendicularly bisect any two sides to inter
pass throu gh
Fig. 4/4 (If the third side is bisected it should also
0.)
This centre is
O is the centre of the circumscribed circle.
thre e give n
To con stru ct a circ le to pass thro ugh called the circumcentre.
points (Fig. 4/5)
ts as show n.
1. Draw straight lines conn ectin g the poin
.
These lines are, in fact, chor ds of the circle
Fig. 4/7
Fig. 4/5
To construct the ascribed circle to any regular
polygon (in this case a triangle) ( Fig. 4/8)
1. An ascribed circle is a circle which touches a side and
the two adjacent sides produced. Thus, the first step
is to produce the adjacent sides.
2. Bisect the exterior angles thus formed to intersect in 0 .
0 is the centre of the escribed circle.
Fig. 4/8
Fig. 4/11
Fig. 4/12
To construct a circle which touches another circle
and two tangents of that circle (Fig. 4/13)
1. If the tangents do not intersect, produce them to
intersect in A.
2. Bisect the angle formed by the tangents.
3. From B, the point of contact of the circle and one of its
tangents, construct a perpendicular to cut the bisector
in O ,. This is the centre of the given circle.
4. Join BO.
5. Draw EF parallel to DB and FO 2 parallel to BO, .
O 2 is the centre of the required circle.
Fig. 4/13
Fig. 4/14
es thro ugh two 1. Join PO and produce this line.
To con stru ct ~ circ le whi ch pass centre some-
a give n circ le, 2. Perpendicularly bisect PO and, with
give n poin ts, P and 0, and touc hes circl e to pass thro ugh
where on this bisector, draw a
centre D (Fig. 4/15 ) n circl e in A and B.
points P and O and cut the give
p PO prod uced in C.
3. Join AB and produce to cut
from C to the give n circl e. (Join
4. Construct the tangent
E, com pass poin t at E draw a radius
CD, bisect CD in
ED to cut the circle in F).
the bisector of PO
5. From F erect a perpendicular to cut
in 0 .
0 is the centre of the required circle.
L - _ J H ~ - - -· C
Fig. 4/15
h each othe r,
To dra w thre e circ les whi ch touc
r cen tres O ,, 0 2 and O 3
give n the pos ition of thei
ing sing le circles (Fig. 4/16 )
All of the above cons truc tions are for find 1. Draw straight lines conn ectin g the
centres.
s. The rest of the cons truc -
which satisfy given cond ition 2. Find the centre of the trian gle thus form ed by bise cting
d with more than one
tions in this chap ter are conc erne two of the inter ior angles.
circle at a time. r to cut O, 0 2 in A.
3. From this centre, drop a perpendicula
draw the first circle.
4. With centre O, and radius O ,A,
draw the second
5. With centre O 2 and radius O ,A,
circle.
( = 0 3 8), draw the
6. With centre O 3 and radius 0 3 C
third circle.
Fig. 4/16
To draw two circles. given both their radii. within
a third circle, all three circles to touch each other
(Fig. 4/17)
1 . Mark off the diameter AB of the largest circle.
2. Mark off AO, .equal to the radius of one of the other
circles and draw this circle, centre O ,, to cut the
diameter in C.
3. From C mark off CD equal to the radius of the third
circle.
4. Mark off BE equal to the radius of the third circle.
5. With centre O , and radius O, D, draw an arc.
6. With centre O and radius OE, draw an arc to cut the
first arc in O 2 •
0 2 is the centre of the third circle.
Fig. 4/17
Fig . 4/2 0
Exercises 4
in Imperial units)
(Al l questions orig ina lly set mm
agon on a base line 25
1 . Construct a regular oct asure and state
circle. Me
long and dra w the inscribed
mm.
the diameter of this circle in
ond ary Sc hoo l Examinations
No rth Western Sec
rmation not in Ch. 4)
Bo ard (See Ch . 2 for info er
each one touching the oth
2. Describe three circles, mm and
being 12 mm, 18
two externally, their radii
24 mm respectively.
y School Examinations
No rth Western Secondar
Bo ard
n sho wn in Fig . 1. You are
3. No con stru ctio n has bee
full size sho win g all con -
AS • q, 144 m111 required to dra w the figure
AC· 68..,...., to ensure the circles are
stru ctio n lines necessary
lines.
Fig . 1 tangential to their adjacent
nal Exa min ations Board
Southern Regio
8. Construct an isosceles triangle ABC where th
4. Construct the triangle ABC in which the base
included angle A= 67 ½, and AB =AC= 104 m e
0
p
SPc 107mm
Fig. 3
Definition
A tangent to a circle is a straight line which touches the
circle at one point.
Every curve ever drawn could have tangents drawn to
it, but this chapter is concerned only with tangents to
circles. These have wide applications in Engineering
Drawing since the outlines of most engineering details
are made up of straight lines and arcs. Wherever a straight
line meets an arc, a tangent meets a circle.
Constructions
To draw a tangent to a circle from any point on the
circumference (Fig. 5/1}
1. Draw the radius of the circle.
2. At any point on the circumference of a circle, the
tangent and the radius are perpendicular to each other.
Thus, the tangent is found by constructing an angle of
900 from the point where the radius crosses the
circumference.
Fig. 5/1
Fig. 5/2
To cons truc t a tang ent from a poin t P to a circl
e,
cent re O (Fig. 5/3)
1. Join OP.
2. Erect a semi-circle on OP to cut the circle in
A.
PA produced is the required tangent (OA
is the radius
and is perpendicular to PA since it is the angle
in a semi-
circle). There are, of course, two tangents
to the circle
from P but only one has been shown for clarit
y.
L -- -+ -+ -- -- ~ P
Fig. 5/3
Fig. 5/4
To construct the common interior (or transverse
or cross) tangent to two equel circles. centres 0
and o 1 (Fig . 5/5)
1. Join the centres O O 1 •
2. Bisect O O 1 in A.
3. Bisect OA in B and draw a semi-circle, radius BA to
cut the circle in C.
4 With centre A and radius AC draw an arc to cut the
.
second circle in D.
CD is the required tangent.
0 B 0,
Fig. 5/5
To construct the common tangent between two
unequal circles. centres 0 and O 1 and radii R and
, respectively ( Fig. 5/6)
1. Join the centres O O 1 •
2. Bisect O O 1 in A and draw a semi-circle, radius AO .
3. Draw a circle, centre 0, radius R-r, to cut the semi-
circle in B.
4. Join OB and produce to cut the larger circle in C. ~--
5. Draw O 1 D parallel to OC. //,.,-
CD is the required tangent.
Fig. 5/6
To constru ct the commo n internal tangen t be- A tangent is, by definitio n, a straight line H
tween two unequal circles, centres O and O, and we do often talk of radii or curves meeting ·ea ~Wever,
radii Rand r respectively (Fig. 5/7) tangentially. We mean, of course, that the curve Other
1. Join the centres O O ,. smoothl y and with no change of shape or bumes meet
2. Bisect O O, in A and draw a semi-circle, radius OA. topic, the blending of lines and curves, is disc:s, Th.is
3. Draw a circle, centre 0, radius R + r, to cut the semi- Chapter 8. S8ed in
circle in B.
4. Join OB. This cuts the larger circle in C.
5. Draw O ,D parallel to OB.
CD is the required tangent.
Fig. 5/7
DIMENSIONS IN mm Fig. 2
Fig. 1 DIMENSIONS
fig. 3 shows the outline of two pulley wheels con-
3· ected by a belt of negligible thickness. To a scale of 7 . Fig.
7 shows the outline of a metal blank. Draw the
~110 draw the ~igure sh~wing the construction blank, full size, showing clearly the constructions for
necessarv to obtain the points of contact of the belt finding exact positions of the tangents joining the
and pulleys. arcs.
Middlesex Regional Examining Board
Fig. 3
4. (1) Draw the _figure ABCP shown in Fig. 4 and con-
struct a circle, centre 0, to pass through the points
A.Band C. DIMENSIONS IN mm Fig. 7
(2) Construct a tangent to this circle touching the
circle at point B. 8. A segment of a circle stands on a chord AB which
(3) Construct a tangent from the point P to touch the measures 50 mm. The angle in the segment is 55°.
circle on the minor arc of the chord AC. Draw the segment. Produce the chord AB to C making
Southern Regional Examining Board (See Ch. 4 for BC 56 mm long. From C construct a tangent to the
information not in Ch. 5) arc of the segment.
.A
University of London School Examinations (See Ch.
2 and Ch. 4 for information not in Ch. 5)
Fig.4
9. A and B are two points 100 mm apart. With B as
,~......_
_ _._•~c_ _ _P centre draw a circle 75 mm diameter. From A draw
l 62~~ • I So~~ _i
5. Fig. 5 shows a metal blank. Draw the blank, full size,
two lines AC and AD which are tangential to the
circle AC = 150 mm. From C construct another
tangent to the circle to form a triangle ACD . Measure
and state the lengths CD and AD, also angle CDA.
Joint Matriculation Board
showing clearly the constructions for obtaining the 10. Fig. 8 shows two circles, A and B, and a common
tangents joining the arcs. external tangent and a common internal tangent.
Construct (a) the given circles and tangents and (b)
the smaller circle which is tangential to circle B and
the two given tangents.
Measure and state the distance between the centres
of the constructed circle and circle A.
Associated Examining Board (See Ch. 4 for informa-
tion not in Ch. 5)
Fig. 5
DIMENSIONS IN mm
Fig. 6 shows the outlines of three pulley wheels
connected by a taut f>elt. Draw the figure, full size,
showing clearly the constructions for obtaining the
points of contact of the belt and pulleys.
R60 R41
123 Fig. 8
DIMENSIONS IN mm
60 70 Fig. 6
DIMENSIONS IN mm