Center of a Circle Calculator

Find the center coordinates of a circle from various equation forms

Calculate Circle Center

Standard Form: (x - A)² + (y - B)² = C

Quick Examples

Circle Center Results

Error: C must be positive for a valid circle

Circle Equation Forms

Standard Form

(x - A)² + (y - B)² = C

Center: (A, B), Radius: √C

General Form

x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0

Center: (-D/2, -E/2)

Parametric Form

x = A + r⋅cos(α)

y = B + r⋅sin(α)

Center: (A, B), Radius: r

Circle Tips

In standard form, watch the signs carefully

General form needs D² + E² - 4F > 0 for a valid circle

Parametric form directly shows center and radius

All forms represent the same circle with different notation

Understanding Circle Equations and Centers

What is the Center of a Circle?

The center of a circle is the point equidistant from all points on the circle's circumference. It's the reference point from which the radius is measured and forms the basis for all circle equations.

Why Different Equation Forms?

  • Standard Form: Most intuitive, shows center and radius directly
  • General Form: Result of expanding standard form
  • Parametric Form: Useful for calculations involving angles

Conversion Formulas

Standard to General

Expand (x - A)² + (y - B)² = C to get:
x² + y² - 2Ax - 2By + (A² + B² - C) = 0

General to Standard

Complete the square on x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0
Center: (-D/2, -E/2), Radius: √((D² + E² - 4F)/4)

Real-World Applications

Engineering

Designing circular components, wheels, gears, and determining optimal positioning

Computer Graphics

Rendering circles, collision detection, and geometric transformations

Architecture

Designing circular structures, arches, and determining spatial relationships