What is P&I?
Pi is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet and the abbreviation used to name a relationship, the ratio between the circumference of a circle and that circle’s diameter. As such, it is a mathematical constant. Pi allows you to find the circumference of the circle if you know the radius or diameter, and allows you to find the radius and diameter if you only know the circumference. The Greek form, π, is often used in mathematics and scientific settings. Pi is given as different figures, both for ease and because the calculation of pi has improved over time. In middle school or junior high, when it is first introduced to students, a value of 3.14 may be used. As students mature, they may be given the value 3.14159, and then 3.14159265. The fact is that pi had been calculated to 707 places in the nineteenth century, and in the twenty-first century, we can claim that is has been calculated to 200 billion digits. Pi is an irrational number, which means that it is a real number with a no
This is a cool lesson. Basically, you just need a collection of jar lids, of varying sizes, some string, scissors, rulers, and calculators. I also use chart paper to post and analyze the data. I have the students work in pairs. They each gather a few jar lids (you could even limit it to one). The more lids you have them measure, the larger the sampling size (another cool concept), and the more accurate the results. Then, I ask them to respond in their logs to the follow questions: What is pi? Tell me everything you know. Then we share their thoughts at this point. Then, I give them these directions for each jar lid. I caution them to be as accurate as possible. 1. cut a piece of string equal to the circumference of your lid 2. cut a piece of string equal to the diameter of your string 3. Measure each. 4. Figure out how many diameter strings it would take to equal your circumference string in length. (C divided by d, but I don’t tell them that). GIve your answer in decimal form 5. Post
Pi is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, but the lower case symbol, π, is used to represent a special mathematical constant. Here is what Microsoft Bookshelf ’95 has on the subject: pi (π) noun plural pis 1. The 16th letter of the Greek alphabet. 2. Mathematics. A transcendental number, approximately 3.14159, represented by the symbol π, that expresses the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle and appears as a constant in many mathematical expressions. [Medieval Greek, from Greek pei, of Phoenician origin; akin to Hebrew pé.] ¹ ¹ The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved. Here is what Microsoft Encarta ’95 has on the subject: Pi, Greek letter &960 used in mathematics as the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Its value is approximately 22/7; the approximate
Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi is always the same number, no matter which circle you use to compute it. Often pi is approximated to 3.14 in school and 3.14159 for professional uses. Pi can never be fully known. There are a variety of websites that have pi to over 100 000 digits. It is said there is over 5 billion digits for pi.
