Welcome to
Double Churches’
MATH TRAIL
Math
Trail Station # 5
Check that you have
everything you need for this station:
pencil - paper - ruler - grid paper - meter
tape - calculator
MATH TRAIL
# 5
At this station you will
be working with the radius,
diameter and circumference of a circle.
The radius of a circle is a line segment that runs from the center of a circle
to a point anywhere on the circle. The
diameter of a circle is any line
segment that runs from a point on a circle to a point anywhere else on the
circle that also runs through the
center point of the circle. The
circumference of a circle is the distance around, or the perimeter, of a
circle.
YOUR TASK:
Isn’t this a wonderful
and bright symbol for education? This
was designed by Amanda Treston, class of 1998, to represent the unique
relationship between Double Churches School with McDonald’s and Integra, our
Partners-in-Education. It would be hard
to measure the distance around the circle with a tape measure or a ruler. The
ancient Greeks discovered that if they divided the circumference of any circle
by the length of its diameter, they always obtained the same number, 3.14.
We call this number pi[p], the Greek letter for
“p” (maybe for perimeter???).
Anyway, they came up with a
formula for finding the circumference, C = p
d, where C stands for circumference and d stands for diameter. Later on, 18th
century mathematicians, simplified the formula to use a radius measurement to C
= 2pr,
where r stands for radius. Using what
the ancient Greeks and later mathematicians discovered find the circumference
of the Double Churches’ PIE symbol.
First, use the radius of the circle and the formula to find the
circumference. Then use the diameter to
find the circumference. What do you
discover about the circumference from your two measurements and calculations? Can you discover what the 18th century math
wizs found? If you can, write it on
your paper.