Education Technology

Experimentally Calculating Pi

Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Linear Functions
Math: Geometry: Circles
Level
9-12
College
Activity Time
60 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-84 series
Other Materials
String, meter stick, circular lids of various sizes.
Resource Types
Lessons

Experimentally Calculating Pi

Activity Overview

Because the diameter of a circle is related to the circumference of a circle, we can find this constant relationship by measuring several lids and fitting a regression line to the data. The slope of this line is pi. This is a great activity to allow students to discover that Pi is the relationship between the diameter of a circle and its circumference.

During the Activity

Read over the activity before beginning. Print out a copy of this activity for each student. This contains sample data and keystrokes for the calculator.

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Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Linear Functions
Math: Geometry: Circles
Level
9-12
College
Activity Time
60 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-84 series
Other Materials
String, meter stick, circular lids of various sizes.
Resource Types
Lessons
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