Pi Approximation Day
The Secret of the Circle
A hands-on discovery at Z.P.P.H.S. Buttayagudem
The morning sun cast long shadows across the courtyard of Z.P.P.H.S. Buttayagudem. For most students, it was just another Tuesday. But for Mr. M. Rajarao’s math class, it was a day for magic.
"Forget the textbooks today," Mr. Rajarao announced with a twinkle in his eye, leading his students outside. A whiteboard on an easel stood waiting. On it were written two mysterious symbols: π and the fraction 22/7.
"Many of you think math is just numbers and rules," he began, his voice warm and encouraging. "But today, we are going to find a secret. A secret that is hidden in every circle in the world."
He held up a simple piece of string and a large steel tiffin lid. A few students looked puzzled, others whispered curiously.
"Today is July 22nd, or 22/7, so we call it Pi Approximation Day!"
He invited a group of girls to the front. He handed the string to a student named Priya. "Carefully," he instructed, "wrap this string perfectly around the edge of this lid."
Priya and her friends worked together, their brows furrowed in concentration. They wrapped the string around the circumference, marked the length, and straightened it out. Then, Mr. Rajarao had them measure the diameter—the distance straight across the center of the lid—using the same string.
"Now for the magic," he said. "Let's see how many times the diameter fits into the circumference."
One length... two lengths... three lengths... and a little bit more was left over.
"That little bit," Mr. Rajarao explained, "is the key! The circumference is always about 3.14 times the diameter." He wrote on the board: Circumference ÷ Diameter ≈ 22/7.
A wave of understanding rippled through the students. Their eyes lit up. It wasn't just a formula in a book anymore; it was real. They could see it, touch it, and measure it themselves. They grabbed other circular objects—a bangle, a water bottle cap, a bicycle wheel rim—and tested the theory again and again. Each time, the answer was the same. The secret of the circle was unlocked.
That day, Mr. Rajarao didn't just teach math. He gave his students the gift of discovery, proving that the most profound secrets of the universe are often waiting to be found in the simplest of things, like a piece of string and a perfect circle.
A Creative Initiative By
Mr. M. Rajarao
Maths S.A., Z.P.P.H.S. Buttayagudem