Donate SIGN UP

Why is Pi wrong?

Avatar Image
ludwig | 12:24 Thu 07th Oct 2010 | Science
87 Answers
It should be exactly 3 but it's slightly out. How did that happen?
Could there be somewhere else in the universe where it is 3?
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 20 of 87rss feed

1 2 3 4 Next Last

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by ludwig. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Why should it be exactly 3?
if it was 3 it might make doing sums easier
If it was 3, all the railway engine wheels would be the wrong size.
If it was 3 then there'd be no need to call it Pi.
I can't be 3 as it is a ratio. The question makes no sense.
that depends what base you are counting in.... Pi is only "our" Pi in base 10
Question Author
// It can't be 3 as it is a ratio //

No it isn't. It's a number.
It is is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter.
The Bible thinks that Pi is 3 exactly!

"He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it."
mmm I reckon they measured it with a bit of string
Ah well I can't doubt the word of the Lord.

3 it is ;-)
-- answer removed --
that's a pretty small sea though Chuck. I thought a cubit was the distance between your thumb and elbow (or similar)
Or maybe in the bible they used a very long piece of elastic to do the measuring?
That is pi expressed a fraction but is very inaccurate:

3.142857142857..... as opposed to
3.14159265358979......
I actually thought it referred to the font at the alter of Solomon's temple until I looked the passage up!
Question Author
// It is is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. //

No it isn't. It's the number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle by it's diameter.
lol.

<--- starts to think this thread should be in the joke section
-- answer removed --
yep. not 3.142....

1 to 20 of 87rss feed

1 2 3 4 Next Last

Do you know the answer?

Why is Pi wrong?

Answer Question >>