Pi Day Is Almost Here!
Math teachers everywhere are rejoicing because their favorite math holiday is almost here!
Pi Day is celebrated every March 14th or 3/14 because pi is approximately 3.14. At this point, some of you may be asking--What is pi? Unfortunately, we are not talking about the kind of pie you eat. Pi is a mathematical term that represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. In other words, if you measure the circumference (distance around the circle) and divide it by the diameter, (distance across the same circle) you should get a number that is close to 3.14. This works with any circle.
Pi is unique for many reasons. One reason is because it is a non-terminating, non-repeating decimal. This means that pi is a decimal that keeps going on forever without repeating itself. We use 3.14 out of convenience, but pi really could be written out as 3.14159265358979323846264...
So on March 14, celebrate pi day by trying to find out if pi is really 3.14 on every circle in your house...or try to memorize as many digits of pi as possible.
For more information about pi, check out these websites:
Pi Day
This site is a resource for those who want to celebrate pi day and learn more about pi.
Math.com
This site gives a brief introduction to pi and lists experiments and formulas that use pi.
Yahoo! Directory
The Yahoo! Directory for pi gives many resources and websites that feature pi resources.
Or check out this library book:
Geometry Demystified by Stan Gibilisco
“Provides a self-paced method for learning the general concepts and fundamentals of geometry, and includes multiple-choice questions at the end of each chapter and a final exam.”
Find this article at http://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=2204