carnahanad
New member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2012
- Messages
- 3
Hello,
I'm working on a CANstruction project where we build artwork out of canned goods (google it if you have more questions about CANstruction). The build we are working on requires me to make numerous circles. The cans we are using have a set radius, r1. I'm trying to figure out an equation that would tell me the radius, r2, of the larger circle circumscribed by the smaller circles. Yes, I realize I could take the cans and lay them out in different patterns in an imperical method of finding the radius. I was hoping to avoid that and derive a formula that would help me determine different r2s for different numbers of cans.
Basically I have "x" number of cans of r1 and I wasnt to know what r2 would be for x1, x2, x3, xi...
I have a feeling it has to do with 360/x and the tangent points of the smaller circles. Every approach I take seems to leave me with two many variables or a triangle with all the angles figured but no sides.
The point of the exercise is to know what r2s I can use so that I have a nice uniform circle with no gaps between the small cans.
Thanks for the help!
Alex
I'm working on a CANstruction project where we build artwork out of canned goods (google it if you have more questions about CANstruction). The build we are working on requires me to make numerous circles. The cans we are using have a set radius, r1. I'm trying to figure out an equation that would tell me the radius, r2, of the larger circle circumscribed by the smaller circles. Yes, I realize I could take the cans and lay them out in different patterns in an imperical method of finding the radius. I was hoping to avoid that and derive a formula that would help me determine different r2s for different numbers of cans.
Basically I have "x" number of cans of r1 and I wasnt to know what r2 would be for x1, x2, x3, xi...
I have a feeling it has to do with 360/x and the tangent points of the smaller circles. Every approach I take seems to leave me with two many variables or a triangle with all the angles figured but no sides.
The point of the exercise is to know what r2s I can use so that I have a nice uniform circle with no gaps between the small cans.
Thanks for the help!
Alex