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Expert: Robi Bhattacharjee - 9/2/2008


Question
QUESTION: i want to know the formula to calculate the area of contact of a circle touching a flat surface...area of contact of a circle tangent

ANSWER: Hi Jacob,

I'm not sure I understand your question. I gathered that you meant what the area is when a circle touches a plane and that would be at one point only. Could you please explain what you mean?





Thanks,
Robi

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: to make it more clearly, if a pipe is laying on a flat board or sheet, how do you know the area that the pipe is touching the sheet or whats the area of contact of the pipe that is touching the sheet.

Answer
Hi Jacob,

Thanks for making the question more clear. It is a great question. The answer is, the area will be zero. The pipe will only touch the paper/board at a single line. A line can only have length, no area. If you try this experiment in real life, you will get an area since the pipe won't be a perfect circle. So in mathematics, the answer is zero.







I hope this helped,

Feel free to ask,

Robi

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Robi Bhattacharjee

Expertise

I can answer a variety of questions on mathematics. Questions on trigonometry, calculus(preferably single variable), algebra, geometry, and number theory will be answered. I cannot answer questions on abstract branches of mathematics such as group theory. I also cannot answer questions on statistics. In number theory, I can answer questions on congruences, prime numbers, units, functions, and the riemann-zeta function.

Experience

I have studied advanced math my entire life. I started calculus in sixth grade. I have attended numerous math competitions and I am attending math organizations such as the San-Diego math circle. Also, this year I have been invited to the USAMO which is a prestigious math competition (Every year the USAMO invites 500 students from across the USA to participate in this competition. The top 6 go to represent the USA in the International Math Olympiad).

Organizations
I am in the San Diego Math Circle

Education/Credentials
I am entering high school and have received a perfect score and the STAR test 5 times in a row. I also have gotten recognitions in the AMC 10, AIME, Math Counts, and ARML. Additionally, I have won the San Diego Math Olimpiad twice in a row.

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