Arc of a circle, minor arc, major arc, and central angle.

An arc is a part or a portion of a circle.

You can think of the intercepted arc as the crust in a piece pizza.

Intercepted Arc

An intercepted arc is created when segments (chords, secants, etc..) intersect a part of the circle. These segments in effect 'intercept' parts of the circle. The picture below shows examples of intercepted arcs.

Note: The examples below use chords to create the intercepted arc. However, tangents, secants can also create intercepted arcs.

Arcs are grouped into two descriptive categories:

minor arc
major arc

In the circle below, there is both a major arc and a minor arc. Look at the circle and try to figure out how you would divide it into a portion that is 'major' and a portion that is 'minor'.

Identify the major and minor arcs in the circle below.

minor arc
major arc

In the circle below, there is both a major arc and a minor arc. Look at the circle and try to figure out how you would divide it into a portion that is 'major' and a portion that is 'minor'.