An ellipse is a type of closed geometric curve that is made by intersecting a cone with a plane (a flat surface). Calculating the exact circumference of an ellipse involves calculus (advanced mathematics). However, when the ellipse's minor axis (the height) is 1/2 the length of the major axis (the length), it's possible to create a good approximation of an ellipse's circumference, c, using the formula c=a/2*square root(93.2886751), where "a" is the arc length.
Instructions
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1
Divide the arc length by 2. For example, if the arc length is 10 cm, then:
10 cm / 2 = 5 cm.
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2
Find the square root of 93.2886751:
Square root(93.2886751)=9.65860627.
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3
Multiply Step 1 by Step 2:
5 cm * 9.65860627= 48.2930313 cm.