Question:hard

Area of a segment of a circle of radius 'r' and central angle \(60^\circ\) is :

Show Hint

Remember that any circle triangle with a central angle of \(60^\circ\) is always an equilateral triangle.
Its area is always \(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2\).
Combine this with the sector fraction \(\frac{60}{360} = \frac{1}{6}\) to instantly write down the segment area formula!
Updated On: Jul 7, 2026
  • \(\frac{\pi r^2}{2} - \frac{1}{2} r^2\)
  • \(\frac{2 \pi r}{4} - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2\)
  • \(\frac{\pi r^2}{6} - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2\)
  • \(\frac{2 \pi r}{4} - r^2 \sin 60^\circ\)
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Spot the equilateral triangle hiding inside the segment.
The two straight sides bounding the segment are both radii of length $r$, and the angle between them is $60^\circ$. A triangle with two equal sides and an included angle of $60^\circ$ must actually have all three angles equal to $60^\circ$ (since the two base angles are equal to each other, and all three angles add to $180^\circ$, each one works out to $60^\circ$). So this triangle is equilateral, with every side equal to $r$.

Step 2: Find the sector area using the radian formula rather than the degree-fraction formula.
First convert the central angle to radians:
\[ 60^\circ = \frac{\pi}{3} \text{ radians} \]
The area of a sector in terms of the angle in radians is:
\[ A_{\text{sector}} = \frac{1}{2} r^2 \theta \]
Substituting $\theta = \frac{\pi}{3}$:
\[ A_{\text{sector}} = \frac{1}{2} r^2 \times \frac{\pi}{3} = \frac{\pi r^2}{6} \]

Step 3: Find the area of the equilateral triangle using the standard equilateral-triangle formula.
For an equilateral triangle of side $r$:
\[ A_{\text{triangle}} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2 \]

Step 4: Subtract to get the segment area.
\[ A_{\text{segment}} = A_{\text{sector}} - A_{\text{triangle}} = \frac{\pi r^2}{6} - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2 \]

Step 5: Final Answer.
The area of the segment is $\frac{\pi r^2}{6} - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2$, so option (C) is correct. \[ \boxed{\dfrac{\pi r^2}{6} - \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{4} r^2} \]
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