Circle of Cylinders: Find Length, Area & Formulae

In summary, the conversation is about finding the length of a loop of wire that encloses n identical cylinders glued upright to a board. The cylinders have a radius of r and are evenly spaced around a large circle of radius R. The conversation also discusses finding the area contained by the loop and whether the same formulae hold when there are only two cylinders. The person is stuck on how to find the amount of wire around the cylinders and the angle needed for calculation. They also mention having difficulty with picturing the problem and ask for help with drawing a diagram.
  • #1
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I have an EPW that I don't quite know how to get started.
Below is the EPW question and then after that is what I am stuck with.


There are n identical cylinders glued upright to a board. Each cylinder has a radius of r and that centers of their bases lie on a large cirlce of radius R They are even spaced around the circle. A loop of wire encloses the cylinders.

Find in terms of n, r and R,
1. The length of the loop
2. The area contained by the loop
3. Do these formulae hold when there are two cylinders?


I was wondering how you find the amount of the wire that is around the cylinder. Surely it changes for the number of cylinders, but how? Also for question 2 I will need a way to calculate the angle. My working is below:
Using two cylinders as an example, the circumference of an entire circle in looped with wire is eventually made as it loops around both of the cylinders and connects together, so perhaps the amount of wire touching each cylinder = (circumference of the cylinder)/n but judging from the existence of question 3 I could be wrong, can someone confirm my answer?

By the way, I understand picturing these questions may be hard, try drawing a quick diagram of the two cylinder thing and perhaps 3 cylinders (it helps)

Also, Math Help Forum is not working, does anyone know why?
 
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  • #2
Sorry for posting in the wrong part of the site. I have moved the question
 

1. What is a circle of cylinders?

A circle of cylinders is a three-dimensional shape made up of a series of cylinders, all with the same radius and arranged in a circular formation. This shape is often used in engineering and architecture to create strong and stable structures.

2. How do you find the length of a circle of cylinders?

The length of a circle of cylinders can be found by multiplying the circumference of the circle by the number of cylinders in the circle. This can be represented by the formula L = C * n, where L is the length, C is the circumference, and n is the number of cylinders.

3. How do you calculate the area of a circle of cylinders?

To calculate the area of a circle of cylinders, you first need to find the area of each individual cylinder. This can be done by multiplying the radius squared by pi. Then, you can find the total area by multiplying the area of one cylinder by the number of cylinders in the circle. The formula for this is A = (r^2 * π) * n, where A is the total area, r is the radius, and n is the number of cylinders.

4. What is the formula for finding the volume of a circle of cylinders?

The formula for finding the volume of a circle of cylinders is V = (r^2 * π) * h * n, where V is the volume, r is the radius, h is the height of each cylinder, and n is the number of cylinders. This formula takes into account the height of each cylinder, as well as the number of cylinders in the circle.

5. Can the formula for a circle of cylinders be applied to other shapes?

While the formula for a circle of cylinders is specific to this particular shape, similar formulas can be applied to other shapes made up of identical objects. For example, the formula for a square of cubes would be different, but it follows the same principle of finding the total area or volume by multiplying the area or volume of one object by the number of objects in the shape.

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