How to Find the Circumference of a Circle
Whether you’ve got some complicated mathematics to complete for a school assignment or you’re trying to find out if a new piece of furniture will fit in a room of your home, learning how to find the circumference is important. Not everyone knows how to do it and even if your math teacher taught you a method, it may have been a while ago, so you might have forgotten it or not have understood his or her how to find the circumference method easily! In this piece, we’ll take you through the steps so you can measure the circumference quickly and get the correct answer, after all, that’s what you’re looking for!
How to Find the Circumference of a Circle
Don’t panic, finding the circumference of a circle is relatively quick and simple, it’s just about getting to grips with the math involved. Once you have, you’ll be measuring circles everywhere – and you may even find it fun to do! We’ll show you how to find the circumference of a circle.
Understanding What Circumference is
Before you learn how to find the circumference of a circle, you need to understand what you’re being asked to do.
The circumference measures the distance around a circle. So, you could say that it’s the perimeter of a circle – and you might also be asked to find the perimeter of a circle – it’s essentially the same thing. A circle is a flat, round shape that is equal all the way round. It is not a sphere and is a 2-dimensional object. There is a math formula for finding the circumference and it’s as follows: formula C = 2 πr. Don’t panic – more on the formula below.
Now, a circle is a shape where all points are at equal distance (or equidistant) from the central point. You can mark the central point; it is right in the middle of the circle. There are no corners, a circle is completely round in shape. To calculate the circumference of a circle you have to do the following:
- Find the radius of the circle (one side of the circle to the other, straight across)
- Multiply the radius of your circle to determine the diameter (radius x 2)
- Multiply the result by π (that refers to PI which is 3.14 approximately) For more on what PI is, click here: https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/pi.html
- That is how to find the circumference of a circle
There is a second method how to find the circumference of a circle:
- Find the diameter of the circle (using the step above, multiplying the radius of your circle x 2 to get the diameter)
- Multiply the diameter by π or 3.14
- This is another way how to find the circumference of a circle.
So there you have it – we’ve told you what the circumference of a circle is and given you two, quick and easy methods to reach the answer. Why not watch a YouTube video on the topic to visualize it if you prefer? Click on this useful link to view a video now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XFkAZW-rWg.