March 14, 2021 – Any way you slice it, pecan pie – and many other flavors – are positively palatable, especially today on Pi Day. But Pi is a different story. Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Math can be difficult. But in a world that is constantly changing, often in a matter of seconds, Pi is a mathematical constant. It will not change. On Pi Day, use pie to learn about Pi!

It’s the perfect day to bake a pie. March Madness is here. March Madness is here. Why not bake a pie, learn about Pi and then watch some hoops?

So open the kitchen for the day and bake away!

Pies are usually made in 8-inch, 9-inch or 10-inch pie plates. Those measurements are the diameter, the length from one side of the plate to the other side.

Knowing the diameter is all that is needed to then calculate the circumference and area of the pie. But you need to know Pi.

Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference (distance around the circle) to its diameter (distance across the circle). Pi is always 3.1415926… and on and on to infinity. For purposes of calculating circumference, 3.14 is most commonly used.

Formulas
Circumference (C) = Pi (3.14)  x diameter (d)

Area (A) of a circle (e.g. a pie) = 3.14 x radius (one-half the diameter) squared (r2)

With these two simple formulas, the circumference and area of any circle can be calculated. Few circles are as palatable as pie though!

Happy Pi Day!