2006-06-09 01:53:26 · 14 answers · asked by aditi u 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
It is a "good" approximation of pi. At least to two decimal places, anyway.
pi is approx 3.14159265358979
22/7 is approx 3.142857
2006-06-09 01:56:45 · answer #1 · answered by fatal_flaw_death 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a useful approximation for the constant we call pi, which is an irrational number equal to, approximately, 3.14159265359.
Of course, it's not possible numerically to multiply something by an exact value for pi, because like all irrational numbers pi has an infinite, non-repeating decimal expansion. As a result, people use approximations, the most common being:
22/7 = 3.142857142857.... (accurate to 3 significant figures)
3.14 (accurate to 3 significant figures, but beyond that *slightly* less accurate than 22/7)
3.1416 (accurate to 5 significant figures)
355/113 = 3.1415929203539823... (accurate to 7 significant figures)
So which approximation you use depends on how accurate you need your final calculation to be. The reason that 22/7 is often preferred over 3.14, besides the fact that it's sliiiiiiiiightly more accurate, is that if the quantity you're multiplying by is a multiple of 7 (which one out of every seven integers is ;-) ), then your approximation will be a nice round integer, which isn't really any better than a decimal value but is psychologically more pleasant!
Hope that helps.
2006-06-09 12:55:57 · answer #2 · answered by Jay H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you know 22/7 is the value of pi.Now,if you are a mathematics student you must be knowing how important pi is.There is no field in maths where pi is not used.This makes it so special.
2006-06-09 12:19:43 · answer #3 · answered by Newton 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it equals the mathematics form, PI (3.14, 22/7). It's a simple fraction to symbolize PI.
2006-06-09 12:50:52 · answer #4 · answered by monkeygirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Years ago, when I was at school which was before calculators were invented (OK, who laughed)! this was always used as the standard form for pi. As someone pointed out, this is the nearest simple fraction that approximates to pi.
2006-06-09 09:47:05 · answer #5 · answered by brainyandy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the only fraction that can estimate Pi which is the ratio of the diameter of the circle and the area of the circle.
2006-06-10 12:12:39 · answer #6 · answered by Kenneth Koh 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the simplest form of a fraction that approximates PI, which can't be a fraction because it is irrational.
2006-06-09 08:56:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
22/7 = pi lol....everyone knows it right? ;P
2006-06-09 10:27:04 · answer #8 · answered by Carmen Wong 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it is the value used to alway's determined the circular area's and irregular shaped area's perimeter and volume
and so on...
2006-06-09 11:32:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
nobody said anything about it being special did they?
2006-06-09 09:54:35 · answer #10 · answered by manojlds 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋