This week in class we have been learning about radians and their relationship with a circle. A radian in terms of a circle is one length of the circle's radius around the circumference of the circle. Explaining this concept to someone who knew nothing about circles to being with I would describe radians to them as follows. The length from the center of the circle to the outside of a circle than being used to wrap around the outside of the circle would be considered a radian. Radians go hand in hand with circles, without a circle there would be no use for a radian. It is no coincidence that the formula for a circle's circumference, c=r*pi, includes the radius of a circle. In order to determine the circumference of a circle in radians, one must know how long the radius because the amount of radians used in a circle is determined by the radius.
Radians relate to degrees because they are both ways of measuring a circle. However, one measures an angle made within a circle while the other measures the outside length of a circle. Even though radians are definitely more mathematically ‘pure’ because they can exactly state the measurement of a circle without using decimals, I prefer degrees because I can see them better visually.
Radians relate to degrees because they are both ways of measuring a circle. However, one measures an angle made within a circle while the other measures the outside length of a circle. Even though radians are definitely more mathematically ‘pure’ because they can exactly state the measurement of a circle without using decimals, I prefer degrees because I can see them better visually.