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Even though math almost always has exact answers, that doesn't mean finding those answers is always easy! One of the most common things you can be asked to do in the math world is work with circles. Don't know where to start? Read on to find out how to find the circumference of a circle.
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Introduction
Math involves learning not just numbers but how to use those numbers. Complicated sounding things like finding the circumference of a circle can become simple once you know the necessary steps. -
Step 1: Know the Parts of a Circle
In order to complete any equations involving circles, you need to understand what the different parts of a circle are.- Circumference: The outside length of a circle - abbreviated with the letter C.
- Diameter: The distance across a circle, making sure to pass through the circle's center - abbreviated with the letter d.
- Radius: The distance from the center of a circle to any point on the circle's edge. This distance is always one-half the diameter - abbreviated with the letter r.
Hopefully, when you go to determine the circumference, you will already know either the diameter, radius or both.
One other thing you must understand to find almost anything relating to circles (and many other things) is the number pi. This symbol is equivalent to 3.14159265358979323846..., though most of the time you can shorten it to 3.14.http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol2/circumference.html
Step 2: Learn the Formulas
Finding a circle's circumference involves using a specific mathematical formula. There are two possible formulas for determining a circle's circumference.- C=2(pi)r
- C/d=(pi) or C=d(pi)
The variable you are given will help you decide which formula to use. If you happen to prefer one formula over the other, you can also always either divide the diameter by 2 to get the radius or multiply the radius by 2 to get the diameter.
Step 3: Solve for the Circumference
Once you understand the formulas and how to use them, you can solve any problem that asks you to find the circumference of a circle. All you have to do is take the information given and plug it into one of the formulas.For example, if the radius of a circle is 4, you would use the equation 2(3.14)(4) to determine that the circumference is 25.12. You could figure out the diameter is 8 (2 times the radius) and then multiply that by 3.14. The result is the same.
Resources Powered by Google
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Circumference of a Circle
An interactive math lesson to calculate the circumference of a circleaaamath.com -
Finding the Fourth Angle of a Quadrilateral
An interactive math lesson about finding the fourth angle of a quadrilateralaaamath.com
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