Archimedes' constant (π)

Introduction

Pi (π), is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, the diameter of a circle
is the distance from edge to edge, measuring straight through the center, and the circumference
of a circle is the distance around. In other words, pi equals the circumference divided by the
diameter:

𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶
𝜋𝜋 =
𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷

Conversely, the circumference is equal to pi times the diameter:

Circumference = π × Diameter

No matter how large or small a circle is, pi will always work out to be the same number.

Pi is an irrational number, which means that it is a real number with nonrepeating decimal
expansion. It cannot be represented by an integer ratio and goes on forever, otherwise known as
an infinite decimal. There is no exact value, seeing as the number does not end. The Guinness
World Record for reciting the most digits of pi belongs to Lu Chao of China, who has recited pi
to more than 67,000 decimal places.

The first 100 digits of pi are:

3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510 58209 74944 59230 78164
06286 20899 86280 34825 34211 7067

Pi has been known for nearly 4,000

years and was discovered by ancient
Babylonians. A tablet from somewhere
between 1900-1680 B.C. found pi to be 3.125.
The ancient Egyptians were making similar
discoveries, as evidenced by the Rhind Papyrus
of 1650 B.C. In this document, the Egyptians
calculated the area of a circle by a formula
giving pi an approximate value of 3.1605.

www.famousinventors.org

The first calculation of pi was carried out by Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 B.C.).
One of the greatest mathematicians of the world, Archimedes used the Pythagorean Theorem to
find the areas of two polygons. Archimedes approximated the area of a circle based on the area
1
of a regular polygon inscribed within the circle and the area of a regular polygon within which
the circle was circumscribed. The polygons, as Archimedes mapped them, gave the upper and
1 10
lower bounds for the area of a circle, and he approximated that pi is between 3 and 3 .
7 71

355
Zu Chongzi of China (429-501) calculated pi to be , though how he arrived at this
113
number is a mystery, as his work was lost. Pi began being symbolized by the pi symbol (π) in
the 1706 by the British mathematician William Jones. Jones used 3.14159 as the calculation for
pi.
https://www.livescience.com/29197-what-is-pi.html

Abstract:
The aim of this experiment is to determine the relation between the circumference of a
circular plastic air filled ring and its diameter at room temperature and atmospheric pressure,
and hence, to determine the value of Pi (π).

Research question:
What is the relationship between the circumference of a circular plastic air filled ring and its
diameter at room temperature and atmospheric pressure?

Hypothesis:
The circumference of a circular ring is directly proportional
to its diameter; the graph shows a straight line passing through Circumference
the origin.
The relation is given by the formula:
C=πD
Where C is the circumference, D is the diameter, and π can be
determined by calculating the slope of the line, given that its
theoretical true value is 3.1415.
Diameter

2
Variables:
Independent variables: the independent variable is the diameter of the circular ring, using six
different plastic air filled rings, the diameters range is between 5 cm to 12 cm, and it is measured
using a 30 cm ruler. Why this range?

Dependent variable: the dependent variable is circumference of the circular ring; it is measured
using a 1-metre measuring tape.

Controlled variables:
Room temperature: Temperature might affect the volume of the air filled plastic ring, since its
volume can expand or contract. Doing the experiment in the same room within a 1 hour period
of time, and using a thermometer to measure the room temperature at the beginning, during, and
at the end of the experiment, to make sure the temperature is constant and controlled.
Atmospheric pressure: Also pressure might affect the volume of the circular air filled plastic
ring, the experiment should be done in the same place and within a 1 hour period of time since
the atmospheric pressure does not change quickly, it takes days to change.

Method:
Apparatus:
30 cm plastic ruler
1-meter measuring tape
6 circular air filled plastic rings
Thermometer

Safety:
No safety issues in this experiment.

Procedure:
1. Measure the temperature of the room using a thermometer, to make sure that the
temperature remains constant during the experiment.
2. Measure the diameter of the smallest plastic ring using a 30 cm plastic ruler, the diameter
is measured by placing the ruler horizontally on the table and placing the ring on top of
it, the diameter is the distance between the outer edges through the center. Watch for
parallax error, your sight line should be vertical to the ruler.
3. Measure the circumference of the circular ring using a measuring tape, place the ring
horizontally on the table and wrap the measuring tape around the outer circumference.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 2 for the other 5 rings.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 3 for another 3 trials.
6. Measure the temperature of the room using a thermometer, to make sure that the
temperature remains constant during the experiment since it’s a controlled variable.

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Data Collection:
Table 1: Circumference and diameter of a plastic circular ring

Circumference (C) / cm Diameter (D) / cm

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
21.5 21.4 21.4 6.0 6.0 6.0
22.6 22.9 22.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
25.0 25.0 25.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
27.7 27.9 28.0 7.8 7.7 7.8
31.0 31.0 31.0 9.0 9.0 9.0
34.0 34.0 34.0 9.5 9.6 9.7

1. Mean circumference, diameter (tables 1 and 2)

2. Plot a graph (Circumference on y-axis, diameter on x –axis)
3. Draw the best fir straight line
4. Calculate the slope.

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Data Processing:
Table 2: mean circumference and mean diameter of a circular ring

mean circumference (𝐶𝐶̅ ) / cm � ) / cm

mean diameter (𝐷𝐷
21.4 6.0
22.7 6.5
25.0 7.0
27.9 7.8
31.0 9.0
34.0 9.6
𝐶𝐶1 +𝐶𝐶2 +𝐶𝐶3 34.0+34.0+34.0
mean (average) circumference = = = 34.0 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
3 3

𝐷𝐷1 +𝐷𝐷2 +𝐷𝐷3 9.5+9.6+9.7

mean (average) diameter = = = 9.6 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
3 3

The relation between circumference and diameter is given by the formula:

C=πD
Plotting the circumference (C) on the y-axis, the diameter (D) on the x-axis, and calculating the
slope will give the experimental value of (π).

Graph 1: mean circumference Vs mean diameter

𝑦𝑦2 −𝑦𝑦1
From the graph 1, slope = π = = 3.43.
𝑥𝑥2 −𝑥𝑥1

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The percentage difference in this experiment is:

𝑇𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣−𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣

Percentage difference = � �×100%
𝑇𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 value

3.14−3.43
Percentage difference = � �×100% = 9 %
3.14

Conclusion and evaluation:

The experimental value of (π) is 3.43, the graph shows a straight line passing very close to the
origin, which means that the circumference of the circular ring is directly proportional to its
diameter but it didn’t pass through the origin due to a systematic error.

The experimental value of (π) is within a percentage difference of 9%. The results are
acceptable compared to hypothesis which states that the circumference is directly proportional
to the diameter, the result is precise because the points are close to the best fit line, also the
result is not highly accurate since it is with a percentage difference of 9%.

There were six points on the graph which is an enough number of variations, also three trials
for each variation, in addition to a plenty of time to finish the experiment. The procedure was
simple, easy to follow, and safe.

Sources of errors:
1. There was a zero-offset error in the measuring tape, about 5 mm, this is a systematic
error that affect all the data points causing a shift in the straight line as shown in the
graph were the best fit line didn’t pass exactly through the origin.
2. Parallax error in measuring the diameter because the rings are round and not with
straight edge, this is a random error shown on the graph where the points are not exactly
on the best fit line.
3. There was another random error in measuring the diameter, it should be the distance
from the edge to the edge passing through the center of the ring, but it is difficult to locate
the center of the ring.

Improvements:
1. Use a measuring tape with no zero off set error to reduce the systematic error.
2. Use Vernier Caliper to reduce random errors due to parallax error, it is easier to measure
the diameter of the ring with round edges, and measuring the longest distance between
the outer edges.
3. Use rings with flat edges in order to measure the diameter