CelebratePi Day

By

Dr. Kevin Ferland

Bloomsburg University

π Day is 3/14

since π = 3.14159………

with fireworks at

1:59 pm.

It is celebrated / recognized in mathematics classrooms everywhere!

Formulas

• Defintion: π = C/d

Q: Is it the same for all circles?

• Theorems:

C = π d

C = 2π r

A = π r2

Q: In the area, really!!????

Today is (7+π)-Day

P = 7+π

2.5

2

Mole Day

10/23

Chemistry Classes

Avagadro’s Number 6.02 ×1023

History

The symbol π was first used in 1706 by William Jones in “Synopsis Palmariorium Mathesios”

However, its use was popularized by Euler.

2006 is the 300th Anniversary!!!

2020 will be even better!!! Pi-Centennial

• Archimedes c. 250 BC proved

A = π r2

• John Lambert 1761 proved

π is irrational.

• Ferdinand von Lindemann 1882 proved

π is transcendental.

More Formulas

S = 4 π r2

V = 4/3 π r3

V = 1/3 π r2 h

S = π r √(r2 + h2)

More Advanced..

64

1

3

1

2

1

1

1 2

2222

411

1

9

1

7

1

5

1

3

1

1

1

1ie

-3 -2 -1 1 2 3

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

2xey

A

Less Advanced

Math Adventure Books by Cindy Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the …

… Dragon of Pi

… First Round Table

… Sword in the Cone

… Great Knight of Angleland

Characters

• Sir Cumference

• Wife: Lady Di of Ameter

• Son: Radius

• Friend: Vertex

• Sword: Edgecalibur

• Carpenters: Geo and Sym of Metry

When Sir Cumference drinks a potion which turns him into a dragon, his son Radius searches for the magic number known as pi which will restore him to his former shape

Activities

• Digit Memorization Contest• Keep School Records

The Finley Middle School records are as follows:

6th grade 70 digits; 7th grade 307 digits and 8th grade 157 digits!

http://www.mathwithmrherte.com/pi_day.htm

• Measure circles and compute the ratio of the circumference to the diameter

• Use cans, plates, frisbees, the trash can …

• Have each student gather data

• Compute a class average for a Pi estimation

Jennifer Bettine

Bishop Hafey Jr. High

The Buffon Needle Experiment

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

Drop a needle of length equal to the distance between the lines

2

)( crossP

crossesofnumber

dropsofnumber )(2

More Activities

• Make a frequency distribution of the digits of Pi

• Consider a regular n-gon,

use the apothem for the radius r, use the perimeter for the circumference C, and define πn

So C = 2 πn r

Note A = πn r2

• Sing Pi Songs (or write some).

Songs

• Happy Pi Day

Happy Pi day to you,Happy Pi day to you,Happy Pi day everybody,Happy Pi day to you.

(to the tune of "Happy Birthday")

• Oh Number PI Oh, number PiOh, number PiYour digits are unending,Oh, number PiOh, number PiNo pattern are you sending.You're three point one four one five nine,And even more if we had time,Oh, number PiOh, number PiFor circle lengths unbending. …

(to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree")

• "American Pi" all rights reserved lyric © 1997- 2005 Lawrence Mark Lesser May be sung to the tune of Don McLean’s “American Pie”  

 CHORUS: Find, find the value of pi, starts 3  point  1  4  1  5  9.  Good ol’ boys gave it a try, but the decimal never dies,  The decimal never dies.........

• 2. Pi Day SongsThese Pi Day songs were written by LaVern Christianson, when he was a math teacher ... To sing a jolly pi day song in a fun math class like this. (Repeat ) ...http://www.winternet.com/~mchristi/piday.html [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]

• 3. Pi DayPi Day Songs These songs were written by some of Mr. Herte's students ... Song Contest (All Grades) There are two wonderful Pi Day songs on the web see the ...http://www.mathwithmrherte.com/pi_day.htm [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]

• 5. americanpi.htmlThen Lambert showed it was a lie to look for rational pi. He started singing .......... ... So the bill was left to die Li ke the quest for rational pi. ...http://www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/lesser/americanpi... [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search]

• 6. PI DAY WINNERSPI DAY WINNERS. This year, the 6th annual PI DAY was held in Mr. Hoyle's class. Students had an opportunity to do classwork and enter various contests to explore, learn and celebrate the irrational number PI. ... Last year saw the first entrance of an original Pi song (see below for lyrics). Although no new songs ...http://users.rcn.com/jhoyle.massed/pi.html [Found on Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]

• 8. Here are links to each of my classes in Spring 2000Here are three versions of the Pi Song. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Pi Song Live A live performance by `The Derivatives' at a coffee house in ...http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/kferland/Pi_Songs/songs... [Found on Google, Ask Jeeves]

Resources

• Search on Pi Day

• Mathematics Educators of Greater Saint Louis

http://www.mobot.org/education/megsl/pi.html