What is Radius: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the Latin radius, meaning ray but also the spoke of a chariot wheel. The plural of radius can be either radii (from the Latin plural) or the conventional English plural radiuses. The typical abbreviation and mathematical variable name for radius is r. By extension, the diameter d is defined as twice the radius:




d

2
r



r
=


d
2


.


{\displaystyle d\doteq 2r\quad \Rightarrow \quad r={\frac {d}{2}}.}
If an object does not have a center, the term may refer to its circumradius, the radius of its circumscribed circle or circumscribed sphere. In either case, the radius may be more than half the diameter, which is usually defined as the maximum distance between any two points of the figure. The inradius of a geometric figure is usually the radius of the largest circle or sphere contained in it. The inner radius of a ring, tube or other hollow object is the radius of its cavity.
For regular polygons, the radius is the same as its circumradius. The inradius of a regular polygon is also called apothem. In graph theory, the radius of a graph is the minimum over all vertices u of the maximum distance from u to any other vertex of the graph.The radius of the circle with perimeter (circumference) C is




r
=


C

2
π



.


{\displaystyle r={\frac {C}{2\pi }}.}

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  1. Chris L T521

    MHB Probability of Point Within Radius $x$ from Origin

    Thanks again to those who participated in last week's POTW! Here's this week's problem! ----- Problem: A point is uniformly distributed within the disk of radius 1. That is, its density is\[f(x,y)=C,\qquad 0\leq x^2+y^2\leq 1\] Find the probability that its distance from the origin is less...
  2. totallyclone

    Low altitude satellites orbiting around planet with twice radius

    Homework Statement Two remote planets consist of identical material, but one has a radius twice as large as the other. IF the shortest possible period for a low altitude satellite orbiting the smaller planet is 40 minutes, what is the shortest possible period for a similar low altitude...
  3. A

    MHB Find the Radius of 4th Circle When All are Tangent: Hint d/2

    The centers of three circles are situated on a line. The center of the fourth circle is situated at given distance d from that line. What is the radius of the fourth circle if we know that each circle is tangent to other three. Please give me a hint, if you can. Answer: d/2.
  4. S

    Hydroxl Ion radius, binding energy and vibrational frequency

    Homework Statement The Hydroxl Ion (OH-) may be considered as a bound state of O2- and a proton. Treating the O2- ion as a nucleus of charge +8 with the electrons homogeneously distributed in a sphere of radius b, determine approximately the position of the proton, the hydroxl binding energy...
  5. marcus

    The awkward expression 1 km/s per Mpc-the radius is better

    The awkward expression 1 km/s per Mpc--the radius is better It's been pointed out that by historical accident we've been stuck with an awkward mix of units conventionally used to express Hubble parameter. If you parse the quantities km/s per Mpc you find that the length units cancel and you...
  6. D

    Period of circular orbit with in terms of varying speeds and radius.

    Homework Statement A particle of unknown mass moves in a circular orbit of radius R under the influence of a central force centred at some point inside the orbit. The minimum and maximum speeds of the particle are vmin and vmax respectively. Find the orbital period T in terms of these speeds...
  7. N

    Find Nucleus Radius: Mass vs. Formula

    How do I find the radius of the nucleus if given the mass? I am asked to compare it with the value found using the formula R= 1.2 A^(1/3)
  8. R

    Electric field at a distance greater than the radius of sphere

    Homework Statement A solid ball of radius rb has a uniform charge density ρ. What is the magnitude of the electric field E(r) at a distance r>r_b from the center of the ball? Homework Equations E(r) = (Q/ε)*1/Area The Attempt at a Solution If Q=ρrb and Area = (4/3)πr3...
  9. X

    Radius of Convergence Power Series

    Homework Statement Determine the radius of convergence and the interval of convergence og the folling power series: n=0 to infinity Ʃ=\frac{(2x-3)^{n}}{ln(2n+3)} Homework Equations Ratio Test The Attempt at a Solution Well I started with the ratio test but I have no clue where...
  10. tsuwal

    Triple integral in eletromagnetism: prove force doesnt depend radius.

    Homework Statement This problem may be dull, I know, but maybe there is a hidden math trick that i don't know of. This picture sums up the problem. So, you should prove by simplifing the integral that F^e, the eletric force applied between two spheres, onde with a charge q_1 and the...
  11. I

    Why is the radius of a twirling rope represented by Lcostheta instead of r?

    I'm having difficulty understanding why the radius is not represented by r, but Lcostheta , isn't the entire rope in the horizontal direction? There is something I'm missing. Thanks. (Hopefully I posted this correctly.) Homework Statement The problem is example 1 on...
  12. liometopum

    Definiton of Schwarzschild radius clarification request

    I am looking for some input on the proper use of the definition of the Schwarzschild radius. Case 1: In the world of black holes, the Schwarzschild radius is used in reference to the distance from the center of a mass dense enough to not allow light to exit. It is a short distance compared to...
  13. O

    Centripetal force. Radius is not given. Find tension in each support

    There is this problem that I have been trying to do but I just cannot understand how to approach it. I have been doing centripetal problems for hours so maybe I am just tired. The thing is that I do not see an equation I can use to cancel out radius since the radius is not given. I have...
  14. P

    Critical radius for fission

    Homework Statement See the image below: Homework Equations In the previous part, it was proved that a particle moves through a distance x in a material without interacting with probability P given by P=\exp(-\sigma n x) Here σ represents the cross section of the reaction between...
  15. Saitama

    Finding radius of circleWhat is the formula for finding the radius of a circle?

    Homework Statement (see attachment 1) In this problem, we have a row of circles placed on a line. All points of tangency are distinct. The circle ##C_n## is uniquely determined. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Here's the sketch I drew for the problem. Radius...
  16. E

    Earth orbiting around sun - finding speed with known mass and radius

    Hi, the problem is stated as following: The Earth (mass=5.98×1024 kg) rotates around the sun in an orbit that is approximately circular, with a radius of 1.5×1011 m. Find the orbital speed of the Earth around the sun. [itеx]F=mv/r2[/itеx] I get that I need to use this equation but I'm...
  17. B

    Turning Radius of 40 foot Cotton Trailer

    Can I make a 90 degree turn on my 20 foot wide road pulling a 40 feet long and 10 feet wide cotton trailer? The cotton trailer has two axles in the rear and two axles in the front. I am an organic farmer and wish to employ a...
  18. S

    Why is the normal force included in this plane's minimum radius problem?

    Hi all, Homework Statement My problem is exactly the same as the one here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2377784 In the solution that Vykan12 provides (which results in the correct answer according to the textbook), however, there is a normal force included in the...
  19. X

    What Is the Correct Banking Angle for a Road Curve with No Friction?

    Homework Statement you want to design a curve with a radius of curvature of 350 m, so a car can turn at a velocity of 15 m/s without relying on friction. Find the angle at which the road must be banked. Homework Equations I've derived this equation via free body diagram, x component is...
  20. 5

    Radius of a curvature for specific force on a seat in a jet

    The question is: What is the minimum radius of curvature of a jet, pulling out of a vertical dive at a speed of v, if the force on the pilot's seat is 7 times his weight? The way I thought to answer this is just to say that, 7 mg, the net force on the seat will be equal to the...
  21. G

    AdS4 Radius & Cosmological Constant: Is n Relevant?

    The AdS4 radius is related to the cosmological constant by \Lambda =\frac{-3}{b^{2}}. Is this true in any number of dimensions, or is there a generalised relation depending on number of dimensions n?
  22. A

    Radius as a function of Uniform Circular Motion

    How exactly does radius affect centripetal acceleration? In one formula we have (a=v^2/r) which implies inversely proportional, while in the other we have (a=(w^2)*r) which implies directly proportional. I understand that increasing r increases velocity (v=w*r) which means the right answer is...
  23. Q

    Schwarzchild radius and escape velocity?

    We know that the escape velocity at the schwarzchild radius is c. Since the escape velocity is defined as the velocity needed to escape from the gravitational field, to reach a total energy of 0 at infinity: Doesn't this mean that an object falling from infinity starting at rest, to the...
  24. H

    Apparent and actual radius (Optics)

    I know the radius of a circle. I'm taking pictures of the circle as I bring it closer to the camera. Obviously the radius is getting larger. I want to know what the relationship is to find this out? I know the distance from the camera that the circle is at all times.
  25. A

    Determining Momentum of a Particle from Radius, Distance, and Angle?

    I didn't know whether to put this in homework or in here because it is not homework but it is a question, so sorry in advance! I like to learn about quantum physics as a hobby, and I found this great link about working with actual particle accelerator data by an organization called Quarknet...
  26. B

    Radius of convergence and 2^1/2

    Homework Statement Suppose c_n is the digit in the nth place of the decimal expansion of 2^1/2. Prove that the radius of convergence of \sum{c_n x^n} is equal to 1. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution What I want to show is that limsup |c_n|^1/n = 1. Clearly for any...
  27. M

    What Is the Escape Speed from the Sun to Mercury at 25 Million Kilometers?

    Homework Statement I need to what the escape speed from the sun to mercury would be if the spaceship is 25 mil km away from the sun. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Basically, all need to know is if I can do this: Gm1m2/radius of sun+ 25 mil km away from sun=1/2 mv^2...
  28. P

    Determining the radius of convergence

    1. Determine the raius of convergence and interval of convergence of the power series \sum from n=1 to \infty (3+(-1)n)nxn. 2. Usually when finding the radius of convergence of a power series I start off by using the ratio test: limn\rightarrow∞|((3+(-1)n+1)n+1xn+1/ (3+(-1)n)nxn| But...
  29. N

    Tracking a Falling Ball: Investigating Radius Over Time

    Homework Statement We have got a ball of radius r, which is falling from the roof of the house. How is the radius r with respect to time? We are looking at the ball directly from above and ball is at the beginning of fall x from our eyes. Neglect air resistance. Homework Equations I'm...
  30. X

    I'm not quite understanding the formation of the radius

    Homework Statement Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume generated by rotating the region bounded by the curves about the specified axis. y=x^4, y=0, x=1; about x=2 2. The attempt at a solution I know how to do the problem, except how to find the radius. Like I know...
  31. T

    Reverse calculation of radius and principal planes of thick lens

    Dear All, I need you kind support in a problem, which I am unable to figure out. It is regarding thick lens. I am determining lens principal planes and radius using shaping factor and focal length. The forward problem I am using is, Focal length 1/f = (n-1)*[1/r1 - 1/r2...
  32. F

    Dark matter density in fucntion of radius

    Homework Statement Evidence for dark matter comes from “flat” rotation curves of galaxies. Assume that the observed matter moves in circular orbits about the center of the galaxy and that the velocity of the matter as a function of the radius v(r) is a constant. Also assume...
  33. N

    Radius of ball matters in fall speed

    In physics class today, our teacher wanted to demonstrate that mass doesn't have an effect on fall speed. (The class was about gravitational potential energy becoming kinetic, mgh = 1/2 *mv^2 and all that) Here was the set up: He had a small rail (two parallel thin metal poles) sloping down...
  34. PhizKid

    Help finding radius for the torque

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Torque = Force * radius * sin(angle) The Attempt at a Solution I am trying to find the radius for the torque of the cable, but I can't seem to use any trig to solve for that side in terms of L.
  35. B

    Relative Circular Speed given radius and time

    Homework Statement What is the speed of the object (a bird) relative to the ground? We are given that a bird is flying in a spiraling path and rising on a thermal, making circles with a radius of 6m every 5s and rising strait up at a velocity of 3m/s.Homework Equations V=d/t C=2πr=d The...
  36. C

    Finding an Extrasolar Planet's Radius

    Hi, I've come across a question that I can't seem to find an equation for anywhere, it seems to exists since I have found mention of it in various papers, but none of them listed it, or at least not in a way I could understand. The question is to find the radius of a fictional extrasolar...
  37. S

    Flatland on a sphere.Find the radius

    Note: this is not a H.W. problem. I'm just curious about it. Imagine you are a flatlander living on a spherical planet. If you don't have any suns or any other satellites to work with how would you go about finding out what the radius of the planet is? I don't think i know enough...
  38. N

    Solving the Critical Radius for Relativity: Find krE!

    Special Relativity states that a clock orbiting Earth will tick slower than one on the surface of Earth. General Relativity states the opposite - a clock will tick faster the further it is from a mass. Is there then a critical radius where these two effects cancel out? Ignore the rotation of...
  39. S

    Effect variable cylinder radius has on airflow

    Can someone shed some light on the following problem? I'm unable to get any traction on it as I know nothing about fluid dynamics (I'm a computer engineer). It's a problem I made up over a lunch discussion with a friend. I've illustrated it as folows:
  40. A

    Radius of convergence (power series) problem

    Homework Statement Ʃ (from n=1 to ∞) (4x-1)^2n / (n^2) Find the radius and interval of convergenceThe Attempt at a Solution I managed to do the ratio test and get to this point: | (4x-1)^2 |< 1 But now what? How do you get the radius and interval? Any help will be appreciated! Thanks
  41. L

    Gaussian Radius of curvature in an argon ion laser

    Hi, having a bit of trouble with this question "In an argon ion laser ( λ = 514nm) the minimum beam waist is 1.0mm and is close to the plane mirror. Calculate the radius of curvature of the beam at the output mirror. 1.15m away" Attempt at a solution: θ = 2λ/pi W02 R = Z + ZR2/Z ZR =...
  42. J

    Calculating Orbital Radius from Period: Solving for r without Velocity

    Homework Statement If a new planet has a year of 3.44578 Earth years, what is its radius of orbit in meters if Earth's orbital radius is 149,597,870,700 meters? Formula: r = (vt)/(2pi) How can I use this without velocity? All help is appreciated as I'm not sure how to go about this...
  43. J

    Different speed of light at different milky way radius?

    The rotation speed of planets around the sun follows a simple rule: if you double the distance to the sun the rotation speed is reduced by the square root of 2. No matter the mass of the planet. If Earth mass was different the period of rotation around the sun will be exactly the same. But in...
  44. J

    Acceleration given Earth's radius

    Given that the Earth has a radius of 6.4x10^6 m, what is the acceleration of a Trojan Badger launched from a catapult when it is 8.5x10^8 m above the surface of the Earth? I'm not sure how to go about this question. All help is appreciated: formulas, explanations, answers, etc.
  45. H

    Radius and Interval of Convergence

    Homework Statement Find the radius and interval of convergence for the two series: 1) [(n+1)/n]^n * (x^n), series starting at n=1. 2) ln(n)(x^n), series starting at n=1. Homework Equations You're usually supposed to root or ratio your way through these. The Attempt at a...
  46. T

    Schwarzschild radius of a proton

    1. Calculate the schwarzschild radius of a proton 2. R = (2MG)/c^2 3. I plugged in m= 1.67E-27, G=6.67E-11 and c=3E-8 and got out an answer of 2.5E-54. This seems ridiculously small, but I can't figure our if I'm doing something wrong or if it really is just that tiny. The next...
  47. J

    Equation to graph a 180 degree curve comprised of a radius and an ellipse

    Hi All, I'm not a math guy so I am coming to you for help. I am trying to come up with an equation to graph any 180 degree curve that is comprised of: a 135 degree radius, and a 45 degree ellipse (135 + 45 = 180). The two curves being the same curvature (slope?) where they meet. The portion...
  48. K

    Animal Foraging Radius Equation Part 2

    Homework Statement I asked a similar question before relating to an animal's foraging radius. I think there was a typo but I'd like to show another example to see if I'm on the right track. The parameter values are as follows: Q= 5.2 × 106 J C = 1.5kg d= 0.055kg per hour k= 2.0...
  49. B

    Need Help finding Radius & Interval of convergence

    ƩHomework Statement Determine the radius of convergence and the interval of convergence for the follwing function expanded about the point a=2. f(x)= ln(3-x) Homework Equations ln(1-x) = Ʃ (x^n+1)/n+1 n=0 which has radius of convergence at |x|<1 The Attempt at a Solution...
  50. A

    Black hole event horizon radius = Schwarzschild radius?

    I am under the impression that the event horizon radius of a non-rotating black hole is equal to its Schwarzschild radius. Is this correct? If yes, then I have a mixed bag of questions: Is the event horizon radius always calculated using the Schwarzschild metric, no matter what model we are...
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