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In the picture below, the point A is always a distance of 3 away from the fixed point C(1,2). Try moving A around to see what happens.

The shape is a circle. If the coordinates of A are (x,y), then, by the distance formula, we must have

(x−1)2+(y−2)2=3

More generally, if a circle has centre (a,b) and radius r, then (x,y) lies on the circle if, and only if,

(x−a)2+(y−b)2=r

It is customary to square both sides, giving the equation of a circle:

(x−a)2+(y−b)2=r2
  1. Write down the equation of a circle with radius 33 and centre (6,−3). Sketch this circle, indicating all intersections with the coordinate axes.

  2. A circle has equation

    x2+y2−14x+8y=60

    Work out the coordinates of the centre of the circle and the radius of the circle.