The formula for the circumference of a circle, C = 2πr, is derived by considering the limiting case of a regular polygon as the number of sides approaches infinity.
Formula for the circumference of a circle
The formula for the circumference of a circle, which is given by C = 2πr, can be derived using the following steps:
Start with a circle of radius r.
Divide the circle into a large number of equal-sized sectors (or "slices").
Arrange these sectors along the circumference of the circle, forming a shape similar to a polygon.
As the number of sectors increases, the shape becomes closer to a regular polygon.
The perimeter of a regular polygon is given by multiplying the length of one side by the number of sides.
In the case of a circle, as the number of sectors increases, the length of each side of the polygon approaches the length of the circle's circumference.
The number of sides of the polygon is equal to the number of sectors, which can be considered as approaching infinity.
Therefore, the length of the circle's circumference is given by the limit of the perimeter of the polygon as the number of sides approaches infinity.
The formula for the perimeter of a regular polygon with n sides is P = ns, where s is the length of one side.
Substituting n = ∞ and s = r (since the length of each side approaches the radius of the circle), we get C = 2πr.
Thus, the formula for the circumference of a circle, C = 2πr, is derived by considering the limiting case of a regular polygon as the number of sides approaches infinity.