Circumference Math Example 1

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Example 1

easy
Find the circumference of a circle with radius 55 cm. Leave your answer in terms of ฯ€\pi.

Solution

  1. 1
    The circumference is the perimeter of a circle โ€” the distance around it. Two equivalent formulas: C=2ฯ€rC = 2\pi r (using radius) or C=ฯ€dC = \pi d (using diameter). They are equivalent since d=2rd = 2r.
  2. 2
    Substitute r=5r = 5 cm into C=2ฯ€rC = 2\pi r: C=2ฯ€(5)=10ฯ€C = 2\pi(5) = 10\pi.
  3. 3
    Result: C=10ฯ€C = 10\pi cm โ‰ˆ31.4\approx 31.4 cm. The formula C=2ฯ€rC = 2\pi r encodes the definition of ฯ€\pi itself: ฯ€=C/d\pi = C/d, the ratio of circumference to diameter, which is the same for every circle.

Answer

C=10ฯ€ย cmC = 10\pi \text{ cm}
The circumference is the distance around a circle. The constant ฯ€โ‰ˆ3.14159\pi \approx 3.14159 is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter, making C=ฯ€d=2ฯ€rC = \pi d = 2\pi r.

About Circumference

The total distance around the outside of a circle; equal to ฯ€\pi times the diameter or 2ฯ€r2\pi r.

Learn more about Circumference โ†’

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