What is it about pi that makes it such a universally used number to explain various aspects of science?

Question

Ah, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, how quaint. But why the heck is this number so significant in so many other equations that explain our world? Why Pi?

Answer 1

Circular motion, and periodic motions (which are derivable as "parts" of circular motion) are, it turns out, fundamental ideas in physics. You may have heard that "higher frequency" light has more energy per photon. In fact, the frequency of a periodic motion is always related to the energy involved. So this is where circles and things to do with circles manage to pervade physics.

Answer 2

Pi is related to circles. Circles are present everywhere in the universe.

Whenever you find Pi, you will find a circle and something that is related to a circle. A couple of examples:

Trigonometric ratios: sine, cosine, etc are all measured in radians. A 180 degree angle has Pi radians.

Probability: The function for normal distribution.
See how it is derived.

Now take any other example and try to see where it is related to a circle.

Have fun!

Answer 3

The circle is important in mechanism such as wheels, mills, cams, and anything that rotates. Many structures that are round or rounded are important for civilization.
It is difficult to measure a circumference with any accuracy. That is because it curves so much. It is easy to measure a diameter to great accuracy.
Pi was a great breakthrough that made it easy to do these calculations quickly and with accuracy.

Answer 4

It's also the first example that mathematicians have of something called a transcendental number.

These are really strange numbers that we know are physicially realizable (obviously) but can't be constructed from integers (Ie, rationals).

They also go beyond that in weirdness because it's also not the square root of any number (roots make up most of what's left from the disjunction of the above category, or what's called irrationals).

Essentially, this number is there, but we have no way of relating back to other simpler numbers that we can understand with modern analysis.

Answer 5

The word you are looking for is HARMONICS, everything has resonance and natural frequencies, right down the the electron orbits of quantum physics. An oscilating function, such as a sin function that is fully reversing occursed in cycles, a cycle is defined as one revolution, and as previously mentioned is defined by PI*diameter.

Answer 6

It's unique constant in that it's got infinite digits without any repetition. Pi comes up every where from quantum mechnics to even some populations studies. It's hard to say what makes it pops up every where, but it's found every where even when you're not dealing with circular shapes neccesary.

Answer 7

in physics, to solve many questions, scientists use symmetry instead of using integral because integration is very hard. and most scientific thing that is made by humans, is made in symetrical shape like the solenoid in all the electrical motors because symmetry makes every thing easy and not complicated. and any question related to this solenoid is dependent on the rules of symmetry. so what is symmetry? circles are good example of symmetric shapes. and circles are made by Pi.

Answer 8

Because it comes up often in nature. Have you seen the movie Pi?

Answer 9

sine
sine
cosine
pi
3.14159