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  •  » Geometry: Using intersecting circles to obtain square roots

#1 2011-04-07 13:30:58

circlemaker
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Geometry: Using intersecting circles to obtain square roots

Here's a simple geometric method for obtaining a square root using circles.

1: Start with a circle.
2: Duplicate & divide by the number you want to square
3: Make two intersecting circles which touch the inside of the outer circle and the outside of the inner circle.
4: Where they intersect is the square root.

http://www.perspectiveinfinity.com/Circ … roots.html

 

#2 2011-04-08 07:07:57

MathsIsFun
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Re: Geometry: Using intersecting circles to obtain square roots

Very cool stuff


"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman
 

#3 2011-04-27 08:33:08

John E. Franklin
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Re: Geometry: Using intersecting circles to obtain square roots

Beautiful graphical calculator of circles.  I tried many numbers from 1 to 1000,
including a few with halves thrown in.  The even and the odd ones are
different the way they intersect.  This is really fun to try to memorize!!


Imagine for a moment that even an earthworm may possess a love of self and a love of others.
 

#4 2011-04-28 13:47:47

circlemaker
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Re: Geometry: Using intersecting circles to obtain square roots

John E. Franklin wrote:

The even and the odd ones are
different the way they intersect.

A perhaps more "proper" version would use a circle in the middle for the odd numbers as well, but I didn't like having half circles on the sides.

 
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