Numerical Work with BIG Circles
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A BIG circle question combines all (or most) of your circle angle formulas into one question.  You may also need to apply other strategies to find all of the missing angles.

Question:

Circle O with tangent and
Find all of the numbered angles.

Solution:
Find the arcs.  Then find the angles in any order that you wish.

Find the measures of the arcs:
7x + 8x + 12x + 9x = 360
36x = 360
x = 10
arc BC = 70º
arc CD = 80º
arc AD = 120º
arc AB = 90º

label these arcs on the diagram

   <1 is an inscribed angle

m<1= 1/2 arc
        = 1/2 (80)
 = 40º

<2 is an inscribed angle

m<2 = 1/2 arc
           = 1/2 (120)
  = 60º

<3 is an inscribed angle

m<3= 1/2 arc
        = 1/2 (70)
 = 35º

<4 is formed inside the circle by two intersecting chords.
m<4 = 1/2 (sum of arcs)
 = 1/2 (90+80)
= 1/2 (170)
= 85º
Also m<6 = 85º since it is a
vertical angle with <4

<5 is formed inside the circle by two intersecting chords
OR <5 and <4 form a straight angle (line)
m<5 = 180 - 85
= 95º
Also m<7 = 95º since it is a
vertical angle with <5

<8 = a "tricky" angle since it does not FIT any of the circle angle formulas.
There are several strategies to arrive at this answer.
Inscribed <BCA is adjacent to <8 and its size is 45º.  This means <8 must be 135º to form a straight <.
OR
Once you know <6, <9, and <10, you can find <8 by remembering that the angles in a quadrilateral add to 360º.

<9 is formed by a tangent and chord

m<9 = 1/2 arc
= 1/2 (150)
= 75º
Did you use the ENTIRE intercepted arc from B to D?

<10 is formed outside by a tangent and secant

m<10 = 1/2(difference of arcs)
= 1/2 (210 - 80)
= 1/2 (130)
= 65º
Were you careful to use ALL of arc BAD?

<11 = a "tricky" angle since it does not FIT any of the circle angle formulas.
<11 is adjacent to <10 and together they form a straight angle (line).
m<11 = 180 - 65
= 115º

 

<12 is formed outside by a tangent and secant

m<12 = 1/2(difference of arcs)
= 1/2 (120 - 80)
= 1/2 (40)
= 20º
 

Also, many of the angles could be found by remembering that there are 180º in a triangle.