Let's Take a Slice of Pi
Students discuss how to calculate distance as a robot travels a circular path.Copyright 2009 Carole Chen, Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Working as a team, students discover that the value of pi (3.1415926...) is a constant and applies to all different sized circles. The team builds a basic robot and programs it to travel in a circular motion. A marker attached to the robot chassis draws a circle on the ground as the robot travels the programmed circular path. Students measure the circle's circumference and diameter and calculate pi by dividing the circumference by the diameter. They discover the pi and circumference relationship; the circumference of a circle divided by the diameter is the value of pi.
Pi (represented by π) is a remarkable constant found in all branches of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering concepts and calculations. In fact, many formulae in engineering, science, and mathematics involve the value of pi. Many students take the meaning of this value for granted and simply memorize that pi is approximately 3.14159. This activity promotes the learning of pi in an engineering-team-effort aproach by engaging students as the researchers and discoverers who ultimately uncover the approximated value of pi in a hands-on manner.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Build and program a basic LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robot.
- Measure the diameter and circumference of a circle.
- Calculate and understand the concept and value of pi.