Law of Sines in Polygon Construction - Goals & Benefits

In summary, the author of the article uses the law of sines to calculate the length of the base in order to demonstrate Archimedes' method of calculating the area of a circle using a regular polygon approximation. The goal of the author is to show that as the number of sides of the polygon increases, the approximation of the circle's area becomes more accurate.
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As the author says in the first paragraph, his goal is to demonstrate Archimedes' method of calculating the area of a circle. He does that by noting that a circle can be approximated by a regular polygon with "n" sides, all vertices on that circle- and the more sides you take, the better the approximation. He calculates the area of the polygon by drawing lines from the center of the circle to each vertex, dividing the polygon into n isosceles triangles. The area of a triangle is "1/2 base times height". In this case, the base of each triangle is the side of the polygon while height is the distance from the center of the circle to the center of the base. For n large, so that each triangle is very "skinny", that is approximately the length of the two equal sides of the triangle, the radius of the circle.

He specifically uses the sine law to calculate the length of the base. Dividing the $2\pi$ radians of a complete circle by n, the vertex angle of each triangle, at the center of the circle, is $\frac{2\pi}{n}$. Since the three angles of any triangle sum to $\pi$ radians, and the two base angles are equal, they are each $\frac{\pi- \frac{2\pi}{n}}{2}= \frac{(n-2)\pi}{2n}$.
 
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1. What is the Law of Sines in Polygon Construction?

The Law of Sines in Polygon Construction is a mathematical principle used to determine the sides and angles of a polygon based on the length of one side and the measure of its adjacent angles.

2. How is the Law of Sines applied in constructing polygons?

The Law of Sines is applied in constructing polygons by using the ratio of the sine of an angle to its corresponding side length. This allows for the determination of missing side lengths or angles in a polygon.

3. What are the benefits of using the Law of Sines in polygon construction?

The Law of Sines in polygon construction allows for the construction of polygons with accurate measurements and precise angles. This helps in creating symmetrical and visually appealing shapes.

4. What are the goals of using the Law of Sines in polygon construction?

The main goal of using the Law of Sines in polygon construction is to accurately determine the measurements of a polygon, which can then be used in various applications such as architecture, engineering, and mapmaking.

5. Are there any limitations to using the Law of Sines in polygon construction?

One limitation of using the Law of Sines in polygon construction is that it can only be applied to triangles and other special cases of polygons, such as quadrilaterals and pentagons. It cannot be used for all types of polygons, such as irregular polygons.

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