If you divide the circumference of any circle by its diameter you will always get the same number 3.14...
This number is called pi. Pi is usually represented by the symbol π
Pi is an irrational number, that means it goes on forever, the first 50 digits of pi are: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510
To calculate the circumference of a circle we use the formula:
Circumference = π × diameter
This can be simplified to: Circumference = πd
Because 2 radiuses are equal to a diameter we can also use the formula:
Circumference = 2 × π × radius
This can be simplified to: Circumference = 2πr
It doesn't matter which formula you use, they are the same and will give the same answer.
Example 1: A circle has a diameter of 8 cm. Work out the circumference of the circle.
We can use the formula:
Circumference = π × diameter
We can substitute 8 in for the diameter:
Circumference = π × 8
π × 8 can be written as 8π
The diameter was given in cm, so the answer is 8π cm
We can leave the answer in terms of pi unless we are asked to give the answer as a decimal.
To convert our answer in to a decimal we can use a calculator, there should be a pi button on your calculator.
On the classwiz it is above the Ans button:
For the pi button we press shift then Ans:
= 
To work out the circumference in the calculator we press:
This gives an answer of 8π, to convert the answer to a decimal we press the SD button:
This gives us 25.13274123, or 25.1 to 1 decimal place.
We can say the circumference is 25.1 cm to 1 decimal place.
Example 2: A circle has a radius of 9 metres. Work out the circumference of the circle.
This time we have been given the radius of a circle. We can either use the formula:
Circumference = 2 × π × radius
Or we could multiply the radius by 2 to get the diameter and use the formula:
Circumference = π × diameter
If we use:
Circumference = 2 × π × radius
We need to substitute 9 in for the radius:
Circumference = 2 × π × 9
If we are leaving our answer in terms of pi we can simplify our answer by multiplying 2 and 9
2 × 9 = 18
So now we have 18 × π which we can write as 18π
The radius was measured in metres so the answer is 18π metres
If we use a calculator to convert 18π to a decimal we get 56.5 metres to one decimal place.
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