Hi,
I have an interesting question which has arisen from an everyday problem. I have a square bin which has 42cm sides and measures ~52cm diagonally.
I am trying to calculate and buy garbage bags which would fit the bin. Obviously garbage bags are circular when stretched out but the measurements given on any given package are the dimensions of the bag when it is stretched out from point to point. It would be easy if the measurements on the packets were expressed in diameter because then I could buy 52cm diameter garbage bags, but they're not so here I am...
I guess what I'm trying to calculate is if you have a circle that you can manipulate and stretch so that it now forms a line, what would be the length of that line?

Now, I could just buy a bunch of garbage bags and use trial and error but that's too easy and the geek in me would like to actually work out a formula on how to calculate the required garbage bag dimensions.
IMO interesting question nonetheless and it'd be fantastic if there's some formula to calculate this?
Cheers,
John
I have an interesting question which has arisen from an everyday problem. I have a square bin which has 42cm sides and measures ~52cm diagonally.
I am trying to calculate and buy garbage bags which would fit the bin. Obviously garbage bags are circular when stretched out but the measurements given on any given package are the dimensions of the bag when it is stretched out from point to point. It would be easy if the measurements on the packets were expressed in diameter because then I could buy 52cm diameter garbage bags, but they're not so here I am...
I guess what I'm trying to calculate is if you have a circle that you can manipulate and stretch so that it now forms a line, what would be the length of that line?

Now, I could just buy a bunch of garbage bags and use trial and error but that's too easy and the geek in me would like to actually work out a formula on how to calculate the required garbage bag dimensions.
IMO interesting question nonetheless and it'd be fantastic if there's some formula to calculate this?
Cheers,
John
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