Thales' Theorem
Learn what Thales’ Theorem is and how it helps you find missing angles on a circle quickly. Let’s get started! 🚀

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🛎️ Thales’ Theorem: What It Says
- If one side of a triangle is the diameter of a circle, the opposite angle is 90°.
- This angle is always a right angle, wherever the point is on the circle.
🛎️ Thales’ Theorem: How to Use It
- First, find the diameter of the circle.
- Then mark the angle opposite the diameter on the circle as 90°.
🛎️ Thales’ Theorem: Finding Other Angles
- All angles in a triangle add up to 180°.
- Subtract 90° and the given angle to find the missing angle.
Practice Questions
Test your understanding
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a semicircle, and C is a point on the circle. What is ?

Correct! 🎉 +10 pointsNot quite right
By Thales’s Theorem, when we have a circle with diameter AB and any point C on the semicircle, the angle will always be a right angle, regardless of the location of point C on the semicircle.
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a circle, and C is a point on the circle. What is ?

Correct! 🎉 +10 pointsNot quite right
By Thales’s Theorem, when we have a circle with a diameter AB and any point C on the semicircle, the angle will always be a right angle, regardless of the location of point C on the semicircle.
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a semicircle, and C is a point on the circle. If , find .

Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
Since AB is the diameter of the semicircle, Thales’s Theorem tells us that . We are given that . In any triangle, the sum of the angles is . Therefore, to find , we use .
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a semicircle, and C is a point on the circle. If , find .

Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
Thales’s Theorem tells us that . We are given that , and we know that the sum of the angles in any triangle is . To find , we calculate .
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a semicircle, and C is a point on the circle. If , find .

Correct! 🎉 +20 pointsNot quite right
Thales’s Theorem states that when AB is the diameter of a semicircle, will always be , no matter the values of the other angles.
In the following diagram, AB is the diameter of a semicircle, and C is a point on the circle. If , find .

Correct! 🎉 +30 pointsNot quite right
By Thales’s Theorem, since AB is the diameter of the semicircle, . Then, in right-angled triangle ABC, we can calculate . Finally, in right-angled triangle ACD, we find .
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