What Is a Circle?
A circle is a round shape. It does not have straight sides or corners. Its boundary is curved all the way around.
This is a circle.
Learning Objectives
- Recognise a circle.
- Understand that a circle is round.
- Identify circle-shaped objects.
- Distinguish a circle from shapes with straight sides.
Recognising a Circle
When you look at a circle, you will notice that it is completely round. It does not have corners like a square or triangle.
All three shapes are circles.
Circle-Shaped Objects
Many objects around us can look like circles.
- A coin
- A plate
- A clock face
- A wheel
- A button
Circle or Not?
The first shape is a circle. The other two shapes have straight sides and corners.
Common Mistakes
- A circle does not have corners.
- A shape with straight sides is not a circle.
- Do not name an object only by its use; look at its shape.
Practice
1. Is a circle round?
2. How many corners does a circle have?
3. Name one object that looks like a circle.
4. Which is a circle: ○ or △?
Try It Yourself
Find five objects around you. Which of them look round? Try drawing a circle for each round object you find.
Quick Revision
- A circle is round.
- A circle has no straight sides.
- A circle has no corners.
- Coins, plates and wheels can look like circles.
Next Step
Next, we will learn about the square and discover how its sides and corners are different from a circle.