NYT Crossword Clue Pi is One, for the Circumference of a Circle to Its Diameter as of April 29, 2024
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Updated Apr 29, 2024
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Clue
Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
Explanation
When people talk about circles, there's a special number that comes up a lot. This number is called "pi." It helps us understand the relationship between two important parts of a circle: its circumference and its diameter. The circumference is the distance around the circle, like if you had to walk around it. The diameter is the distance across the circle, going straight through the middle from one side to the other.
When you divide the circumference by the diameter, you always get the same number, no matter how big or small the circle is. This number is called pi, and it's a special ratio that shows the connection between these two parts of a circle. The clue says that pi is "one" of these ratios, which means it's the result when you compare the circumference to the diameter.
Pi is an interesting number because it's not a simple fraction or a whole number. It's what people call "irrational," which means it has an endless number of decimal places. If you write out pi, it starts with 3.14, but it goes on and on without repeating. Pi is super useful in math and science. People use it to find out how long something is, how much space it takes up, or how much it weighs.
If you're making something with circles, like wheels or gears, you'll need to know about pi to get the measurements right. So when you see a clue that talks about pi being the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, it's referring to this special number that helps us understand the shape and size of circles.
Hints to Finding the Answer
Stuck on the clue? Here are a few helpful hints to guide you in the right direction.
- The answer is a 5-letter word.
- | - | - | - | - |
- The answer starts with R and ends with O.
R | - | - | - | O |
- This word is used in math to describe how two numbers relate to each other.
- It's like comparing one part to another, like how many apples there are compared to oranges.
- When you divide one number by another, this word shows the result.
- It can describe a fraction or a comparison between two things.
- This word is often used in measurements, like when you find the size of something by comparing it to something else.
Answer
Incredible! You're so sharp! You got it!
RATIO
Explanation
A ratio is a way to compare two things by showing how much of one there is in relation to the other. It’s like when you have a bag of candy with 3 red candies and 6 blue candies. The ratio of red to blue candies is 3 to 6, which can also be written as 3:6 or 1:2 if you simplify it.
Ratios are used a lot in math because they help us understand relationships between numbers. For example, if you have a recipe that says to use 2 cups of flour for every 1 cup of sugar, the ratio of flour to sugar is 2:1. This means you use twice as much flour as sugar.
Ratios can also be used in everyday life. In a classroom, if there are 20 boys and 10 girls, the ratio of boys to girls is 2:1. This shows there are twice as many boys as girls in that classroom. Sometimes, you might hear about ratios in sports. For example, if a basketball player scores 30 points in 10 games, the ratio of points per game is 3:1. This tells you, on average, how many points the player scores in each game.
Ratios are helpful because they make it easy to understand how two things compare. You can write them with a colon (:) like 3:6, or as a fraction like 1/2. They are used in many situations, from cooking to measuring, and they help us make sense of the world around us by showing relationships simply.
About the Paper
In 1971, the New York Times published a set of secret government documents called the Pentagon Papers. These papers showed how the United States had been involved in the Vietnam War. The president at the time, Richard Nixon, didn't want the papers to be published, but The New York Times did it anyway.
This led to a big court case, New York Times Co. v. United States, where the Supreme Court had to decide if the newspaper could publish the Pentagon Papers. The Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, gave The New York Times the right to publish the papers.
In the 1980s, The New York Times started to use more digital technology. They launched their website, nytimes.com, in 1996, allowing people to read the newspaper online. As more people used the internet in the 21st century, The New York Times moved more of its content online since fewer people were reading print newspapers.
Possible Answer
RADIUS
Explanation
A radius is like a special ruler you use for circles. Imagine you have a big pizza, and you want to find out how big it is. If you start in the middle and stretch your measuring tool to the edge, that's the radius. The radius is the distance from the center of a circle to any point on its edge. It's like drawing a line from the middle of the circle to the outside.
Radius is super important because it helps us figure out how big or small circles are. For example, if you want to know how much pizza you have, you can measure the radius and use it to find the area (how much space is inside the circle). Another cool thing about the radius is that it helps us find other significant measurements of a circle, like the circumference (the distance all the way around) or the diameter (the distance across the middle).
Radius isn't just for circles, though. It's used in lots of different areas, like science, engineering, and even in everyday life. Whenever you need to find the distance from the center to the edge of something round, you're using the radius. So, the next time you see a circle, remember the radius! It's the secret to figuring out how big or small things are.
ARC
Explanation
An arc is a shape that looks like a curved line. You can find arcs in lots of places, like on a circle, on buildings, or even in nature. When you think about a rainbow, that's a big arc in the sky. An arc can also be part of a circle, like a slice of a pizza or pie. If you draw a circle and then draw a straight line from one side to the other, the line is called a diameter. If you follow the circle's edge from one end of the diameter to the other, the curved line you see is an arc.
So, an arc is like a piece of a circle's edge. Arcs are important in math and geometry because they help us understand curves and circles. When you measure how long an arc is, you're finding out the distance along the curve. This is called the arc length. To measure it, you usually need to know the radius of the circle and the angle that the arc makes at the center of the circle. The larger the angle, the longer the arc.
Arcs are also used in architecture and design. For example, arches in buildings are made with arcs to create a strong, stable structure. Bridges and doorways often use arcs to support their weight and look appealing. In stories and movies, the word "arc" can also mean the path a character takes from the beginning to the end of the story.
It's like the journey they go on, with ups and downs, just like a curve. Overall, an arc is a simple shape but can have many meanings and uses. Whether in math, buildings, or stories, arcs are everywhere, showing how curves can be both beautiful and practical.
ELLIPSE
Explanation
An ellipse is a shape that looks like a stretched-out circle. It's similar to an oval, with two longer ends and two shorter sides. To understand an ellipse, imagine taking a circle and pulling it from opposite sides to make it longer. This creates the unique, elongated shape of an ellipse.
Ellipses are found in many places. For example, the orbits of planets around the sun are not perfect circles; they are ellipses. This means that sometimes the planets are a little closer to the sun, and sometimes they are a little farther away. Because of this, the shape of an ellipse is important in astronomy.
An ellipse has a few special points and lines. The longest line through an ellipse is called the major axis, and the shorter line is the minor axis. The points where these lines meet the edge of the ellipse are called vertices. There are also two special points inside the ellipse called foci (singular: focus). If you draw a straight line from one focus to any point on the edge of the ellipse and then to the other focus, the total distance is always the same. This is a unique property of ellipses.
In everyday life, you can find ellipses in many places. For example, an oval racetrack, the shape of some fruits like mangoes, and even some mirrors and windows can be elliptical. Architects and designers use ellipses because of their smooth, flowing shape.
In summary, an ellipse is a shape that looks like a stretched circle or an oval. It has a major axis, a minor axis, and special points called foci. Ellipses are important in science and found in many everyday objects because of their unique and elegant shape.
QUADRANTS
Explanation
Quadrants are a way to divide something into four parts. The word "quadrant" comes from "quad," which means four. It's often used in math, especially when talking about graphs and coordinate systems. Imagine you have a big piece of paper, and you draw two lines on it—one going left to right (called the x-axis), and one going up and down (called the y-axis).
These two lines cross in the middle, and where they meet is called the origin. When you draw these lines, they divide the paper into four separate areas, and each of these areas is a quadrant. Each quadrant has a specific name. The top-right quadrant is called the "first quadrant," and it's where both the x and y values are positive numbers.
The top-left quadrant is the "second quadrant," where the x value is negative (because it goes left) but the y value is positive. The bottom-left quadrant is the "third quadrant," with both x and y values as negative numbers. Lastly, the bottom-right quadrant is the "fourth quadrant," where the x value is positive, but the y value is negative.
Quadrants are useful because they help you understand where things are on a graph. For example, if you have a point with an x value of 2 and a y value of 3, you know it goes in the first quadrant. If the x value is -2 and the y value is -3, it goes in the third quadrant. People use quadrants in many areas, like math, science, and even business. It's a simple way to break things into smaller sections, making it easier to understand where things are and how they connect.
PIS
Explanation
When we talk about circles, there are two important measurements: the circumference and the diameter. The circumference is the distance around the circle, like the edge of a coin or the outer rim of a plate. The diameter is the distance across the circle, from one edge to the other, passing through the center.
Now, there's a special relationship between these two measurements, and it's called pi. Pi is a number that tells us how many times the diameter can fit into the circumference. It's a constant, which means it's the same for every circle, no matter how big or small.
If you take the circumference and divide it by the diameter, you'll always get pi. The first few digits of pi are 3.14, but it goes on and on, with many more decimal places. People use pi to help with math and geometry, especially when they're working with circles.
Pi's ratio shows how much bigger the circumference is compared to the diameter. It's like saying, "For every one diameter, there's a little more than three times that distance around the circle." This ratio is important because it helps us understand circles better and is used in many areas, from engineering to science.
If you're building a wheel, calculating the orbit of a planet, or just cutting a pie into slices, pi and its circumference-to-diameter ratio play a role. This simple but powerful relationship makes pi a key concept in understanding circles and their measurements.
ARCS
Explanation
An arc is a part of a circle. It's like taking a piece of a circle, not the whole thing, just a curved section. If you draw a circle and then cut out a part of the edge, the piece you get is called an arc. Arcs can be big or small, depending on how much of the circle you take. If you take half of a circle, that's a large arc called a semicircle. If you only take a little bit, it's a small arc.
You can make arcs from different shapes too, but when people talk about arcs, they usually mean parts of circles. Arcs are used in many places. For example, in math and geometry, you can use arcs to measure distances along a circle. If you know the angle at the center of the circle, you can figure out how long the arc is.
This is called the arc length, and it's a way to measure the curve. Arcs are also useful in architecture and engineering. Arches, which are curved structures, are made using arcs. These are strong because the shape of the arc helps spread out the weight. You see arches in bridges, doorways, and even ancient buildings like Roman aqueducts. In everyday life, you might see arcs in different ways.
If you swing a baseball bat, the path it takes is like an arc. When you throw a ball, and it curves through the air, it's following an arc. Even the path of the sun across the sky can be thought of as an arc. So, arcs are not just pieces of circles; they are an important concept in math, architecture, and everyday life. They help us understand curves, create strong structures, and even describe how things move.
DIAMETER
Explanation
Diameter is a word used in math and science to describe a special line in a circle or a sphere. This line goes straight across the circle, passing through the center, from one edge to the other. Think of it as the longest line you can draw inside a circle. To find the diameter, you start from one point on the edge of a circle and draw a straight line through the middle until you reach the opposite edge.
This line shows how wide the circle is. If you know the diameter, you can learn a lot about the circle, like how big it is or how much space it takes up. The diameter is important because it helps us understand the size of circles and spheres. If you're drawing a circle or working with round objects, knowing the diameter makes it easier to get the right measurements. For example, if you're baking a pizza, the diameter helps you know how big the pizza should be.
In some cases, you can also use the diameter to find other things about the circle, like its circumference. The circumference is the distance around the edge of the circle. To get the circumference, you can multiply the diameter by a special number called pi (approximately 3.14). This shows how the diameter helps you figure out other influential parts of a circle.
Overall, the diameter is a key concept in math. It helps us measure, compare, and understand circles and spheres. It's used in many areas, from everyday tasks like baking and crafting to more complex things like engineering and architecture. If you know what the diameter is, you'll find it easier to work with circles and round objects in general.