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How many sides on a circle?
vanity | Oct 19 2020 | Vanity

Posted on 10/19/2020 12:41:17 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?

My 1st grader's homework had a problem about the number of sides on a circle. I have a BS in Math and never thought about it, my initial thought was 1. Turns out there are multiple correct answers:

2 sides: Outside and inside

1 side: There is only one line

0 sides: A circle has no sides.

∞ (infinite) sides: Each point in a circle would be a separate side (yes, way too egghead for 1st grade)


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Science
KEYWORDS: circle; farside; infinity; sides
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To: PGR88

Bingo! Greek supremacy.


21 posted on 10/19/2020 1:05:09 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
Each of the "correct" answers is using a different definition of "side" to come to the conclusion.

If you can't articulate the definition of "side," the question of how many sides is not really mathematical.

22 posted on 10/19/2020 1:05:11 PM PDT by dartuser
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

The answer is: orange


23 posted on 10/19/2020 1:05:41 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: Manic_Episode

In two dimensions there is no top or bottom.


24 posted on 10/19/2020 1:05:55 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

On paper, a top side and a bottom side too!


25 posted on 10/19/2020 1:06:03 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I checked the internet and Twitter has banned all answers.


26 posted on 10/19/2020 1:06:53 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (With age comes wisdom or well practiced ignorance)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

What’s inside the circle?


27 posted on 10/19/2020 1:07:05 PM PDT by Osage Orange (TRUMP!!!)
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To: loucon

But the moon has only one “ far side”


28 posted on 10/19/2020 1:08:40 PM PDT by campaignPete R-CT (Committee to Re-Elect the President ( CREEP ))
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To: Osage Orange

If a side is how many boundaries that are contiguous and parallel, I would say infinite.


29 posted on 10/19/2020 1:10:35 PM PDT by rlbedfor
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

If the circle is in a plane, like a coin, then there are 2 sides, heads and tails.


30 posted on 10/19/2020 1:13:28 PM PDT by myerson
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To: campaignPete R-CT

— But the moon has only one “ far side”

There is no far side of the Moon. Matter of fact it’s all far.


31 posted on 10/19/2020 1:13:37 PM PDT by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I suspect that the teacher is fishing for the answer, an infinite number of sides. A circle can be thought of as the limit of a sequence of multi-sided polygons, each with more sides than the last.


32 posted on 10/19/2020 1:16:33 PM PDT by maro (MAGA!)
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To: campaignPete R-CT

Yes, always one far side and also one close side. But does it not have a top side and a bottom side or is the up side down? For that matter, what about the right side and the left side? Is there an independent side?

You know, even as a kid people have tried to get me to see the man in the moon, but all I have ever seen is a bunch of impact critters.


33 posted on 10/19/2020 1:16:35 PM PDT by loucon (Quarintine by choice is freedom. Quarintine by mandate is ... well you know ... that thing ...)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Or infinity, because a circle can be considered to have an infinite number of infinitesimal sides and corners. You’re probably right, though. Infinity is not a concept expected to be in the wheelhouse of 1st graders, but zero is.


34 posted on 10/19/2020 1:17:38 PM PDT by rightwingcrazy (;-,)
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To: dayglored
There is no far side of the Moon. Matter of fact it’s all far.

I know what you did there. :)

35 posted on 10/19/2020 1:20:19 PM PDT by libertylover (Election 2020: Make America Great Again or Burn it to the Ground. Choose one.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
"In two dimensions there is no top or bottom"

================================

In the field of topology a circle isn't limited to the geometric concept.

36 posted on 10/19/2020 1:22:05 PM PDT by Manic_Episode (Trump has more soul in his wink. Biden has souless dead fish eyes)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

A circle has 2 sides. It has an inside and an outside!


37 posted on 10/19/2020 1:23:30 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (The line that separated Satire, Democrats and Stupidity has vanished. (thanks to jonascord)!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
"How many sides on a circle?

BIDEN: Two sides
TRUMP: Infinite Sides
MODERATOR: Mr. Biden is correct.
38 posted on 10/19/2020 1:24:04 PM PDT by clearcarbon
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Infinite... in the limit.


39 posted on 10/19/2020 1:25:00 PM PDT by dhs12345
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I would have said infinite.


40 posted on 10/19/2020 1:25:40 PM PDT by Brilliant
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