Go back
Area of a washer

Area of a washer

Posers and Puzzles

Vote Up
Vote Down

What single linear measurement can you take of a washer to calculate its area?

(washer = circular disc with smaller concentric circular hole)

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What single linear measurement can you take of a washer to calculate its area?

(washer = circular disc with smaller concentric circular hole)
A chord of the outer circle which is also a tangent of the inner circle. I don't know why or how... but my gut says so...

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What single linear measurement can you take of a washer to calculate its area?

(washer = circular disc with smaller concentric circular hole)
Is this a puzzle or a genuine question?

D

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by agryson
A chord of the outer circle which is also a tangent of the inner circle. I don't know why or how... but my gut says so...
It's the only possible answer, but I don't see how either.

I think you'd need to measure the radius of the hole and the washer.

D

Vote Up
Vote Down

I did some calculations.... that seems to be the right answer! Not a proof or anything but here it is:

Take a washer w/ outer radius = 2 and inner radius = 1. The area = 2^2*pi - 1^2*pi = 3pi. Make a triangle w/ the chord and the center and cut it in half to make 2 right trianlges. Use good ol' a^2 + b^2 = c^2 and you get the chord = 2*sqrt(3).

Now take a random outer radius... lets say 4. Doing pretty much the same thing, you get an inner radius of sqrt(13). Then, 4^2*pi -sqrt(13)^2 * pi = 3pi.

Also works for outer radius of 5, but haven't tried different chord lengths.

2 edits
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What single linear measurement can you take of a washer to calculate its area?

(washer = circular disc with smaller concentric circular hole)
The distance from the inner hole to the outer edge.

EDIT - Guess not.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Ok, the line is a chord of the big circle which is a tangent to the smaller circle. Then only use half of that line (up to where it touches the smaller circle)
We'll call the length of this line M for measurement.
If you take the point at which the chord touches the bigger circle and draw a line from here to the centre of both circles, you get the radius of the bigger circle. We'll call this B for big. If you now draw a line from the middle of both circles to the tangent at M then we get the radius of the small circle, or S for small. We have a right angled triangle. Thus B^2 = M^2 + S^2.
The area of the big circle is PiB^2. The area of the small circle is PiS^2. The area of the whole thing is PiB^2-PiS^2 or Pi(B^2-S^2). We know that B^2-S^2=M^2 and so the area of the washer is PiM^2.

Vote Up
Vote Down

A genuine question and a puzzle. :-D

Vote Up
Vote Down

A very elegant proof Sir!

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.