stevenlong1985 Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 I know this is a KS1 maths question? how many sides does a circle have? I used to think it was 1, (being told this when I was little) But I've been told its 0 as its has no sides but an arch, or has a infinity number of sides. is there a correct answer?
soveryapt Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 Seems to be infinite ... For instance, 'a decagon (10 sides). It is starting to look round. As you add more and more sides to a polygon, it starts to look more and more like a circle. If you had a polygon with 1000 sides, would you be able to distinguish the different sides?' Source: How many sides does a circle have? - Yahoo! Answers
LosOjos Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 I'd also argue that a true circle has an infinite number of "sides"... although zero sides makes sense too. After all, what is a side? A measurable straight line between two points on a shape? Seems to me there can't really be a definite answer to this question, it's along the lines of "how much is infinity?"
6Foot2 Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 It is difficult to give this question an answer I would be happy with. Perhaps the question should be asked another way or clarified. Here is a link to another website where users have posted their thought on the matter: Link: geometry - How many sides does a circle have? - Mathematics - Stack Exchange http://gyazo.com/d3725d00edc9381cd244d7c036261738.png
LosOjos Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 It is difficult to give this question an answer I would be happy with. Perhaps the question should be asked another way or clarified. Here is a link to another website where users have posted their thought on the matter: Link: geometry - How many sides does a circle have? - Mathematics - Stack Exchange http://gyazo.com/d3725d00edc9381cd244d7c036261738.png Have to say, it doesn't fill you with confidence that this child's math teacher didn't recognise the symbol for infinity!
stevenlong1985 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Posted January 25, 2012 Its just something the year 1 teachers just asked me, an I was like erm... 1 side? and told no but how do you explain to a 5 year old that a circle has a infinite number a sides. I think its a question to be avoided until secondary school perhaps
36Degrees Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 2 Inside and outside surley?, Damn beat me to it! Grab my coat too please...
aerospacemango Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I'd also argue that a true circle has an infinite number of "sides"... although zero sides makes sense too. After all, what is a side? A measurable straight line between two points on a shape? Seems to me there can't really be a definite answer to this question, it's along the lines of "how much is infinity?" Surely a sphere has an infinite amount of sides, but a circle only has one???
plexer Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Have to say, it doesn't fill you with confidence that this child's math teacher didn't recognise the symbol for infinity! I read that to mean that the teacher thought that the child didn't know that a "sideways 8" was the symbol for infinity not that the teacher didn't know what it was. Ben
LosOjos Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Surely a sphere has an infinite amount of sides, but a circle only has one??? By that logic, a square has 5 sides including it's "front" you can't count the "flat" side of a 2 dimensional shape! I read that to mean that the teacher thought that the child didn't know that a "sideways 8" was the symbol for infinity not that the teacher didn't know what it was. Ben "She said that she thought my son had written a sideways '8' and didn't know that a sideways '8' means infinity" hmmm.... could be taken either way I suppose but I read it as the teacher didn't know a sideways '8' meant infinity, seeing as she previously said her son had written "∞"
aerospacemango Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 By that logic, a square has 5 sides including it's "front" you can't count the "flat" side of a 2 dimensional shape! Not entirely true! The circle has 1 side....The "outside" of the circle, in the same way that a triangle would have 3, and a square would have 4! A sphere could have only 1 side but an infinite amount of "faces". A cube would only have 6 "faces" At least, that is my understanding of the whole thing!
LosOjos Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 So which is it 0, 1 or infinite? The answer is 42. 1
HaleStorm Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Surley it goes on the number of "lines" the shape is made up of, a triangle has 3, a square has 4 and a true circle is made of 1 single line therefore has 1 line?
SneakyBeaky Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Surley it goes on the number of "lines" the shape is made up of, a triangle has 3, a square has 4 and a true circle is made of 1 single line therefore has 1 line? Yes. Primary education uses a simplified but logical system for defining shapes. A circle has one side. (One curved side). (The joke about one inside and one outside does not count because this only relates to the line that is used to draw the shape. If the line is thick enough there will be no inside as the circle will be completely filled). A semi-circle has two sides, one curved and one straight. A quadrant has three, two straight and one curved. and so on....
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