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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Subject: Length of ellipse How do I determine the length of an ellipse if the width and area are known? |
Tom,
The equation of Area of an Ellipse is
A = π a b
where a and b are half the lengths of the major and minor axis. If we think of a circle, it is just a special case of an ellipse where a = b, the radius of the circle. That is why we say A = π a2
Looking at the formula, we can say that a is half the length and b is half the width. We just have to now manipulate the formula to find 2a in terms of A and 2b.
Karen and Sue
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