Everywhere I see it written, $\pi$ is described as "the ratio of the circumference to the diameter". I know $\pi = C/d$, but the ratio $3.14...:1$ is $3.14$... diameters to $1$ circumference. So shouldn't it be described as the ratio of diameter to circumference?
2026-03-26 17:53:29.1774547609
Why do we say pi is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter, and not diameter to the circumference?
421 Views Asked by Bumbble Comm https://math.techqa.club/user/bumbble-comm/detail At
1
There are 1 best solutions below
Related Questions in TERMINOLOGY
- The equivalent of 'quantum numbers' for a mathematical problem
- Does approximation usually exclude equality?
- Forgot the name of a common theorem in calculus
- Name of some projection of sphere onto $\mathbb{R}^2$
- What is $x=5$ called??
- Is there a name for this operation? $f(a, b) = a + (1 - a)b$
- When people say "an algebra" do they always mean "an algebra over a field"?
- What is the term for "in one $n$-space"?
- The product of disjoint cycles
- What about the 'geometry' in 'geometric progression'?
Related Questions in PI
- Two minor questions about a transcendental number over $\Bbb Q$
- identity for finding value of $\pi$
- Extension of field, $\Bbb{R}(i \pi) = \Bbb{C} $
- ls $\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}$ the only sum of two irrational which close to $\pi$?
- Is it possible to express $\pi$ as $a^b$ for $a$ and $b$ non-transcendental numbers?
- Is there an essential difference between Cartwright's and Niven's proofs of the irrationality of $\pi$?
- How and where can I calculate $\left(1-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4}+\cdots\right)\left(1+\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4}+\cdots\right)?$
- Is $\frac{5\pi}{6}$ a transcendental or an algebraic number?
- Calculating the value of $\pi$
- Solve for $x, \ \frac{\pi}{5\sqrt{x + 2}} = \frac 12\sum_{i=0}^\infty\frac{(i!)^2}{x^{2i + 1}(2i + 1)!}$
Related Questions in RATIO
- JMO geometry Problem.
- ratio word problem
- Calculating Percentage Error in the Ratio when there is an Error in Numerator or Denominator or both ?
- How do i show bellow that :$\frac{u_{n+1}}{u_n}>1$ without looking to $ u_{n+1}-u_n$?
- How do I determine how much does a variable "vary" by looking at other variables it depends on?
- New Golden Ratio (phi) Sequences
- Finding the ration between 3 numbers if we know the sum (and we also know that the 1st > 2nd and 2nd > 3rd)?
- Equality of Ratio of Gamma Functions
- Decomposing change in a ratio
- Getting the compression ratio
Related Questions in CONVENTION
- Notation Convention for integer in a certain range
- Is this $\binom{n}{p}$ for $p>n$ make a sense in mathematics or it is $0$ by convention?
- Is there a convention/rule-of-thumb for the order of writing numbers?
- When to use $m(\measuredangle ABC)$ vs $\angle ABC$
- Naming Conventions of Trigonometric Functions
- Is it possible to say that $\arg(0)= \infty $ since it's not undefined or it is $0$ since $0|0$?
- Why divide mean curvature by 2?
- Proof of non-emptiness of a set
- What do you call a set of numbers between an upper and lower number?
- Is it bad form to let the constant of integration equal several different values over a calculation
Trending Questions
- Induction on the number of equations
- How to convince a math teacher of this simple and obvious fact?
- Find $E[XY|Y+Z=1 ]$
- Refuting the Anti-Cantor Cranks
- What are imaginary numbers?
- Determine the adjoint of $\tilde Q(x)$ for $\tilde Q(x)u:=(Qu)(x)$ where $Q:U→L^2(Ω,ℝ^d$ is a Hilbert-Schmidt operator and $U$ is a Hilbert space
- Why does this innovative method of subtraction from a third grader always work?
- How do we know that the number $1$ is not equal to the number $-1$?
- What are the Implications of having VΩ as a model for a theory?
- Defining a Galois Field based on primitive element versus polynomial?
- Can't find the relationship between two columns of numbers. Please Help
- Is computer science a branch of mathematics?
- Is there a bijection of $\mathbb{R}^n$ with itself such that the forward map is connected but the inverse is not?
- Identification of a quadrilateral as a trapezoid, rectangle, or square
- Generator of inertia group in function field extension
Popular # Hahtags
second-order-logic
numerical-methods
puzzle
logic
probability
number-theory
winding-number
real-analysis
integration
calculus
complex-analysis
sequences-and-series
proof-writing
set-theory
functions
homotopy-theory
elementary-number-theory
ordinary-differential-equations
circles
derivatives
game-theory
definite-integrals
elementary-set-theory
limits
multivariable-calculus
geometry
algebraic-number-theory
proof-verification
partial-derivative
algebra-precalculus
Popular Questions
- What is the integral of 1/x?
- How many squares actually ARE in this picture? Is this a trick question with no right answer?
- Is a matrix multiplied with its transpose something special?
- What is the difference between independent and mutually exclusive events?
- Visually stunning math concepts which are easy to explain
- taylor series of $\ln(1+x)$?
- How to tell if a set of vectors spans a space?
- Calculus question taking derivative to find horizontal tangent line
- How to determine if a function is one-to-one?
- Determine if vectors are linearly independent
- What does it mean to have a determinant equal to zero?
- Is this Batman equation for real?
- How to find perpendicular vector to another vector?
- How to find mean and median from histogram
- How many sides does a circle have?
You're almost there in your reasoning. However, you're treating the terms diameter and circumference as UNITS in your explanation. This is odd because the diameter is not a unit; nor is the circumference. They are scalar measurements of some other unit, such as centimeters, for example.
If you have a diameter of 100cm, then the circumference would be about 314 centimeters. We do not apply the terms diameter and circumference in our ratio. To do so is confusing.
But let's look at your reasoning a little further. How many diameters make up one circumference? When you look at this question and answer it straight out, you would say approximately 3.14 diameters make up 1 circumference as you described in your question. We have two dissimilar units in this ratio, which makes it meaningless.
(3.14 diameters)/(1 circumference)
... this is actually equal to 1, because both lengths are equal. Your problem is that you're comparing ideas rather than scalar values.
Simply stated, the length of the circumference is about 3.14 times a long as the diameter. Therefore the ratio of these two scalar lengths is 3.14... we know this as pi. And these measures are given specific linear values with a common unit that is linear, not descriptive.