Find the Center and Radius of a Circle from Its Equation

This free online calculator finds the center and radius of a circle given its equation in general form:

\[ x^2 + y^2 + ax + by = c \]

The calculator converts this equation into standard form by completing the square.

Completing the Square Method

Group the \(x\) and \(y\) terms:

\[ x^2 + ax = \left(x+\frac{a}{2}\right)^2 - \left(\frac{a}{2}\right)^2 \] \[ y^2 + by = \left(y+\frac{b}{2}\right)^2 - \left(\frac{b}{2}\right)^2 \]

Substitute these expressions into the original equation to obtain the standard form:

\[ (x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2 \]

where

\[ (h,k)=\left(-\frac{a}{2},-\frac{b}{2}\right) \]

and

\[ r^2 = c + \left(\frac{a}{2}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{b}{2}\right)^2 \]

So the center is \( (h,k) \) and the radius is \( r \).

How to Use the Calculator

Enter the coefficients \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), choose the number of decimal places, then click Enter. If the equation represents a circle, the calculator will display the center coordinates and radius.

a = b = c =
Decimal Places =
Center = ( , )
Radius =

More References

Equation of a Circle
Circle Equation Tutorials with Solutions
More Math Calculators