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There is a class 9 or class 10 theorem that "The angle subtended by an arc at the centre is double the angle subtended by it at any point on the remaining part of the circle." Now the proof which is taught to us is like-

Let there be a circle with centre O.

enter image description here

$$∠BOQ=∠OAQ+∠AQO .....(1) $$Also, in △ OAQ, $$OA=OQ [Radii of a circle] $$Therefore, $$∠OAQ=∠OQA $$ [Angles opposite to equal sides are equal] $$∠BOQ=2∠OAQ .......(2) $$Similarly, BOP=2∠OAP ........(3)

Adding 2 & 3, we get, $$∠BOP+∠BOQ=2(∠OAP+∠OAQ) $$ $$∠POQ=2∠PAQ .......(4) $$

This I have understood. But let's say I altered the diagram like this.

enter image description here

In this O is the centre I tried using exterior property but failed. Mind you you might start proving it by same segment. Angle in same segment are equal. If we using this segment property then we can prove this but to prove that angle in same segment are equal we use angle subtended in circle is double at any point on circle and like using each other to prove each other seems a bit wrong. So is really the angle subtended at centre is wrong or I am missing to solve it here?

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    Astute observation: this is indeed an extra case to consider. The Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inscribed_angle) includes the proof for all 3(!) cases. – player3236 Jan 29 '21 at 04:56

2 Answers2

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The standard approach to the Inscribed Angle Theorem, as shown in most high school textbooks on geometry, is to start by proving it for the special case when one side of the angle is a diameter. They then treat the general case by drawing in an auxiliary diameter through the vertex of the angle, as shown below. Case 1 is from the source, and Case 2 is from the OP's drawing here.

Cases 1 & 2: diameter from vertex is inside & outside the circle, respectively.

Edit: At the original poster's request, I am providing an explicit proof for Case 2, rather than an argument sketch.

As in Case 1, the proof begins by drawing the diameter $AB$, showing that the measure of Angle $PAB$ is half the measure of Arc $PB$, and that the measure of angle $QAB$ is half the measure of Arc $QB$. As these proofs were given in the original post; as the arguments are identical in both cases; and as drawing in the radii would needlessly complicate the diagrams, I trust it is safe to omit full demonstrations of these preliminaries.

Once we've established that $m \angle PAB = \frac{1}{2} m \text{ Arc } PB$, $m \angle QAB = \frac{1}{2} m \text{ Arc } QB$, the proof of Case 2 looks a lot like Case 1, except we subtract instead of add: since $$m \angle PAQ = m \angle PAB - m \angle QAB$$ and $$m \text{ Arc } PQ = m \text{ Arc } PB - m \text{ Arc } QB,$$ we get

\begin{align*} m \angle PAQ &= m \angle PAB - m \angle QAB \\ &= \frac{1}{2} (m \text{ Arc } PB - m \text{ Arc } QB) \\ &= \frac{1}{2} m \text{ Arc } PQ, \ \end{align*} and our argument is complete.

Since you ask for a "reputable source," here is how Pearson's Common Core geometry textbook, widely used in US high schools, approaches the Inscribed Angle Theorem (pp. 780-781):

A high school geometry textbook splits the Inscribed Angle Theorem into 3 cases.

The pictures they draw for Exercises 26 and 27, in the same section of the textbook, are substantially equivalent to the ones I drew above for Cases 1 and 2 above (which the textbook refers to as "Case II" and "Case III" respectively). It seems noteworthy, per OP's request for a proof, that the student edition of the textbook does not explicitly fill in the proof of Cases 1 and 2 above, but assumes that a motivated and intelligent high school student would be able to come up with the details themselves, from seeing the demonstration when one side of the angle is a diameter.

Edit 2: Wanted to provide another source. Matthew Harvey (math professor at UVA) has a fascinating and readable free geometry textbook available on his university webpage. He gives an explicit proof of the Inscribed Angle Theorem on pages 12-13 of Chapter 16, "Circles". Harvey's proof is exactly the one given in my answer, and outlined in Pearson's geometry textbook. It covers the case which OP was confused about, where angle/arc subtraction is necessary.

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The angle subtended by an arc at the centre is double the angle subtended by it at any point on the remaining part of the circle. This as described by you is a theoram of circle.

enter image description here

If you are not able to understand the diagram then let me explain it to you. I have joined OA and OQ. Let angle OAQ be 5 ( 5 is name not number), angle QAP be 4, OPA be 3, POQ be 6, OQA be 1 and AQP be 2.

OA = OB

So,$$ angle 4 + angle 5 = angle 3- eq 1 $$

Similarly, OA = OC

$$ angle 5 = angle 1 - eq 2 $$ Now,

$$ angle 3 + angle 4 = angle 1 + angle 6 $$ $$ angle 4 + angle 4 + angle 5 = angle 1 + angle 6 $$ ( replacing angle 3 as with eq 1) $$ angle 4 + angle 4 = angle 6 $$ (cutting angle 5 and angle 6 from both sides as they are equal)

$$ 2 * angle 4 = angle 6 $$

So we have proved that angle subtended in centre is double the angle subtended at any property and thus I can claim that this theoram is correct

  • Okay thanks for the answer @JitendraSingh but I would like to atleast like post some source so that I can accept your answer –  Jan 31 '21 at 07:17