Math question: how do we get an irrational number pi from the ratio of circumference and the diameter of a circle?

Twoafros@lemmy.world to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 49 points –

I am wrong in thinking the circumference or the diameter of a circle has to be rational?

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If you were to cut a string to the length of your circle' diameter, it WILL ALWAYS wrap around by 3.14159 (or π times).

Isn't that backwards?

Nope.

The equation is P=πD. Meaning the Perimeter is equal to 3.14 times the length of your Diameter.

You can visualize it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1lQfERPjkzk

Right, so you'd need 3.14 strings of length D to cover the circle, D wouldn't wrap around it itself.

It was implied that it would wrap around the circle. I'll update original post to clarify better.

Yeah that's what I gathered, but it's backwards. C = Pi D means you need pi strings, not that it'll cover the circle pi times.

Ahhhh. I see what your saying. It's fixed.

Yeah. Did not mean to intend that it wraps fully around the circle pi times. Good catch.

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