The diagramreviewsthe namesfor the “parts”of a circle.
- The center
- The circle:the pointsthat are a givendistancefrom the center(whichdoesnot includethe centeror in-
terior) - The interior:all the points(includingthe center)that are insidethe circle
- circumference:the distancearounda circle(exactlythe sameas perimeter)
- radius:any segmentfromthe centerto a pointon the circle(sometimes“radius”is usedto meanthe
lengthof the segmentand it is usuallywrittenas ) - diameter:any segmentfroma pointon the circle,throughthe center, to anotherpointon the circle
(sometimes“diameter”is usedto meanthe lengthof the segmentand it is usuallywrittenas )If you like formulas,you can alreadywriteone for a circle:
orCircumferenceFormula
The formulafor the circumferenceof a circleis a classic.It has beenknown,in roughform,for thousands
of years.Let’s look at one way to derivethis formula.
Startwith a circlewith a diameterof unit. Inscribea regularpolygonin the circle.We’ll inscriberegular
polygonswith moreand moresidesand see whathappens.For eachinscribedregularpolygon,the
perimeterwill be given(howto figurethat is in a reviewquestion).
Whatdo you notice?
- The moresidesthereare, the closerthe polygonis to the circleitself.
- The perimeterof the inscribedpolygonincreasesas the numberof sidesincreases.
- The moresidesthereare, the closerthe perimeterof the polygonis to the circumferenceof the circle.
Now imaginethat we continuedinscribingpolygonswith moreand moresides.It wouldbecomenearlyim-
possibleto tell the polygonfrom the circle.The tablebelowshowsthe resultsif we did this.
RegularPolygonsInscribedin a Circlewith Diameter