General Form of the Equation of a Circle Calculator

Convert between general form (x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0) and standard form ((x-A)² + (y-B)² = C)

Circle Equation Converter

General Form: x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0

Coefficient of x

Coefficient of y

Constant term

Equation Forms

General Form

x² + y² + + + = 0

Standard Form

(x - 0.00)² + (y - 0.00)² = 0.00

Parametric Form

x = 0.00 + 0.00 cos(α)
y = 0.00 + 0.00 sin(α)

where α is the parameter (angle in radians)

Invalid Circle

The equation does not represent a valid circle. The radius squared must be positive.

Calculation Steps

Step 1: Calculate center coordinates

A = -D/2 = -0/2 = 0.00

B = -E/2 = -0/2 = 0.00

Step 2: Calculate radius squared

C = A² + B² - F = 0.00² + 0.00² - 0 = 0.00

Example Calculations

Example 1: General to Standard

Given: x² + y² - 6x + 4y - 12 = 0

Here: D = -6, E = 4, F = -12

Solution:

A = -(-6)/2 = 3

B = -(4)/2 = -2

C = 3² + (-2)² - (-12) = 9 + 4 + 12 = 25

Standard form: (x - 3)² + (y + 2)² = 25

Center: (3, -2), Radius: 5

Example 2: Standard to General

Given: (x - 6)² + (y - 6)² = 49

Here: A = 6, B = 6, C = 49

Solution:

D = -2(6) = -12

E = -2(6) = -12

F = 6² + 6² - 49 = 36 + 36 - 49 = 23

General form: x² + y² - 12x - 12y + 23 = 0

Circle Equation Forms

General Form

x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0

Expanded form with coefficients

Standard Form

(x - A)² + (y - B)² = C

Center-radius form

Parametric Form

x = A + r cos(α)
y = B + r sin(α)

Parameter-based form

Conversion Formulas

General → Standard

A = -D/2
B = -E/2
C = A² + B² - F

Standard → General

D = -2A
E = -2B
F = A² + B² - C

Quick Tips

General form shows all terms expanded

Standard form clearly shows center and radius

For a valid circle, C must be positive

Parametric form is useful for plotting

Understanding Circle Equations

General Form Equation

The general form of a circle equation is x² + y² + Dx + Ey + F = 0, where D, E, and F are constants. This form shows all terms expanded and is useful for algebraic manipulations.

Key Properties

  • Coefficients of x² and y² are always 1
  • No xy term (coefficient of xy is 0)
  • D and E determine the center location
  • F affects the radius of the circle

Standard Form Benefits

The standard form (x - A)² + (y - B)² = C directly shows the center at (A, B) and radius as √C. This form is most intuitive for understanding circle geometry.

Applications

  • Graphing circles on coordinate planes
  • Finding intersections with lines or other circles
  • Computer graphics and geometric modeling
  • Engineering and architectural design