octagon size in circle











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I am using yED to draw a schematic for a sound installation. It involves a circle with a diameter of 7 metres. I need to have 8 speakers at a regular distance so I am a drawing an octagon inside the circle. Now: how can I calculate the width and height of the octagon so that it fits within that circle of 7 metres?
Pretty basic question, I know, but it has been a long time ago since I did maths.










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    I am using yED to draw a schematic for a sound installation. It involves a circle with a diameter of 7 metres. I need to have 8 speakers at a regular distance so I am a drawing an octagon inside the circle. Now: how can I calculate the width and height of the octagon so that it fits within that circle of 7 metres?
    Pretty basic question, I know, but it has been a long time ago since I did maths.










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      up vote
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      favorite









      up vote
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      down vote

      favorite











      I am using yED to draw a schematic for a sound installation. It involves a circle with a diameter of 7 metres. I need to have 8 speakers at a regular distance so I am a drawing an octagon inside the circle. Now: how can I calculate the width and height of the octagon so that it fits within that circle of 7 metres?
      Pretty basic question, I know, but it has been a long time ago since I did maths.










      share|cite|improve this question













      I am using yED to draw a schematic for a sound installation. It involves a circle with a diameter of 7 metres. I need to have 8 speakers at a regular distance so I am a drawing an octagon inside the circle. Now: how can I calculate the width and height of the octagon so that it fits within that circle of 7 metres?
      Pretty basic question, I know, but it has been a long time ago since I did maths.







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      asked Nov 18 at 10:58









      Samuel Van Ransbeeck

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          Such an octagon is formed of 8 isosceles triangles, each having an angle of 45 degrees at the centre, and the two adjacent sides being 7m long. That gives the third side (which is the side-length of the octagon) at $7sqrt{2-sqrt{2}}$, or around 5.358m.



          However, you don't need any of that information to construct such an octagon: instead, first find the centre of the circle (if you don't know already, pick any point, tie a string to it, pull the string tight to any other point on the circle, and move around, keeping the string tight, until you reach the point where it is longest. Repeat for a different starting point, and the centre is where the strings cross.



          Place your first speaker anywhere you like (if you used the two-string method to find the centre, use one end of one of your pieces of string: it'll make life easier). Place the other exactly opposite the centre from there (that's at the other end of your piece of string, if you used it).



          Now, take two pieces of string (say 5m long, but it doesn't matter as long as it's significantly over 3.5m and both the same). Tie one to each of your placed speakers. There are exactly two places where you can stand and hold the ends of the strings touching each other with both tight. Find them and mark them. Take a straight line between them (if you didn't mess up, this line will go exactly through the centre of your circle). Put a speaker at either end of that line.



          Now, tie those two pieces of string to two adjacent speakers. Find one of the places that they cross (the other one is outside the circle). Draw a line through that and the centre. Place a speaker at either end of it. Finally, move your string to two speakers that are 90 degrees apart and don't have a speaker between them. Repeat the process to construct your last line, and place a speaker at opposite ends of that.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
            – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
            Nov 18 at 11:33











          Your Answer





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          Such an octagon is formed of 8 isosceles triangles, each having an angle of 45 degrees at the centre, and the two adjacent sides being 7m long. That gives the third side (which is the side-length of the octagon) at $7sqrt{2-sqrt{2}}$, or around 5.358m.



          However, you don't need any of that information to construct such an octagon: instead, first find the centre of the circle (if you don't know already, pick any point, tie a string to it, pull the string tight to any other point on the circle, and move around, keeping the string tight, until you reach the point where it is longest. Repeat for a different starting point, and the centre is where the strings cross.



          Place your first speaker anywhere you like (if you used the two-string method to find the centre, use one end of one of your pieces of string: it'll make life easier). Place the other exactly opposite the centre from there (that's at the other end of your piece of string, if you used it).



          Now, take two pieces of string (say 5m long, but it doesn't matter as long as it's significantly over 3.5m and both the same). Tie one to each of your placed speakers. There are exactly two places where you can stand and hold the ends of the strings touching each other with both tight. Find them and mark them. Take a straight line between them (if you didn't mess up, this line will go exactly through the centre of your circle). Put a speaker at either end of that line.



          Now, tie those two pieces of string to two adjacent speakers. Find one of the places that they cross (the other one is outside the circle). Draw a line through that and the centre. Place a speaker at either end of it. Finally, move your string to two speakers that are 90 degrees apart and don't have a speaker between them. Repeat the process to construct your last line, and place a speaker at opposite ends of that.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
            – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
            Nov 18 at 11:33















          up vote
          0
          down vote













          Such an octagon is formed of 8 isosceles triangles, each having an angle of 45 degrees at the centre, and the two adjacent sides being 7m long. That gives the third side (which is the side-length of the octagon) at $7sqrt{2-sqrt{2}}$, or around 5.358m.



          However, you don't need any of that information to construct such an octagon: instead, first find the centre of the circle (if you don't know already, pick any point, tie a string to it, pull the string tight to any other point on the circle, and move around, keeping the string tight, until you reach the point where it is longest. Repeat for a different starting point, and the centre is where the strings cross.



          Place your first speaker anywhere you like (if you used the two-string method to find the centre, use one end of one of your pieces of string: it'll make life easier). Place the other exactly opposite the centre from there (that's at the other end of your piece of string, if you used it).



          Now, take two pieces of string (say 5m long, but it doesn't matter as long as it's significantly over 3.5m and both the same). Tie one to each of your placed speakers. There are exactly two places where you can stand and hold the ends of the strings touching each other with both tight. Find them and mark them. Take a straight line between them (if you didn't mess up, this line will go exactly through the centre of your circle). Put a speaker at either end of that line.



          Now, tie those two pieces of string to two adjacent speakers. Find one of the places that they cross (the other one is outside the circle). Draw a line through that and the centre. Place a speaker at either end of it. Finally, move your string to two speakers that are 90 degrees apart and don't have a speaker between them. Repeat the process to construct your last line, and place a speaker at opposite ends of that.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















          • Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
            – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
            Nov 18 at 11:33













          up vote
          0
          down vote










          up vote
          0
          down vote









          Such an octagon is formed of 8 isosceles triangles, each having an angle of 45 degrees at the centre, and the two adjacent sides being 7m long. That gives the third side (which is the side-length of the octagon) at $7sqrt{2-sqrt{2}}$, or around 5.358m.



          However, you don't need any of that information to construct such an octagon: instead, first find the centre of the circle (if you don't know already, pick any point, tie a string to it, pull the string tight to any other point on the circle, and move around, keeping the string tight, until you reach the point where it is longest. Repeat for a different starting point, and the centre is where the strings cross.



          Place your first speaker anywhere you like (if you used the two-string method to find the centre, use one end of one of your pieces of string: it'll make life easier). Place the other exactly opposite the centre from there (that's at the other end of your piece of string, if you used it).



          Now, take two pieces of string (say 5m long, but it doesn't matter as long as it's significantly over 3.5m and both the same). Tie one to each of your placed speakers. There are exactly two places where you can stand and hold the ends of the strings touching each other with both tight. Find them and mark them. Take a straight line between them (if you didn't mess up, this line will go exactly through the centre of your circle). Put a speaker at either end of that line.



          Now, tie those two pieces of string to two adjacent speakers. Find one of the places that they cross (the other one is outside the circle). Draw a line through that and the centre. Place a speaker at either end of it. Finally, move your string to two speakers that are 90 degrees apart and don't have a speaker between them. Repeat the process to construct your last line, and place a speaker at opposite ends of that.






          share|cite|improve this answer












          Such an octagon is formed of 8 isosceles triangles, each having an angle of 45 degrees at the centre, and the two adjacent sides being 7m long. That gives the third side (which is the side-length of the octagon) at $7sqrt{2-sqrt{2}}$, or around 5.358m.



          However, you don't need any of that information to construct such an octagon: instead, first find the centre of the circle (if you don't know already, pick any point, tie a string to it, pull the string tight to any other point on the circle, and move around, keeping the string tight, until you reach the point where it is longest. Repeat for a different starting point, and the centre is where the strings cross.



          Place your first speaker anywhere you like (if you used the two-string method to find the centre, use one end of one of your pieces of string: it'll make life easier). Place the other exactly opposite the centre from there (that's at the other end of your piece of string, if you used it).



          Now, take two pieces of string (say 5m long, but it doesn't matter as long as it's significantly over 3.5m and both the same). Tie one to each of your placed speakers. There are exactly two places where you can stand and hold the ends of the strings touching each other with both tight. Find them and mark them. Take a straight line between them (if you didn't mess up, this line will go exactly through the centre of your circle). Put a speaker at either end of that line.



          Now, tie those two pieces of string to two adjacent speakers. Find one of the places that they cross (the other one is outside the circle). Draw a line through that and the centre. Place a speaker at either end of it. Finally, move your string to two speakers that are 90 degrees apart and don't have a speaker between them. Repeat the process to construct your last line, and place a speaker at opposite ends of that.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered Nov 18 at 11:13









          user3482749

          1,931411




          1,931411












          • Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
            – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
            Nov 18 at 11:33


















          • Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
            – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
            Nov 18 at 11:33
















          Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
          – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
          Nov 18 at 11:33




          Thank you for such a detailed answer. However, I will need it for a drawing that I will make inside that circle on the floor. Having the right size of the octagon is important as it will influence how big the drawing will be (luckily the drawing are just straight lines o no heavy mathematics involved). I tried your formula but the octagon comes up way smaller than the circle. If I crudely draw the octagon, the width and height should be around 645 cm.
          – Samuel Van Ransbeeck
          Nov 18 at 11:33


















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