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Usually, chord length and height are given or measured, and sometimes the arc length as part of the perimeter, and the unknowns are area and sometimes arc length. These can't be calculated simply from chord length and height, so two intermediate quantities, the radius and central angle are usually calculated first.
A standard chord length is used: in the UK this is conventionally 30 metres, or sometimes 20 metres. Half chords, i.e. 15 metre or 10 metre intervals, are marked on the datum rail using chalk. The string, which is one full chord long, is then held taut with one end on two marks at each end of a chord, and the offset at the half chord mark measured.
The chord function can be related to the modern sine function, by taking one of the points to be (1,0), and the other point to be (cos θ, sin θ), and then using the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the chord length: [2]
Architects, engineers, and contractors use these equations to create "flattened" arcs that are used in curved walls, arched ceilings, bridges, and numerous other applications. The sagitta also has uses in physics where it is used, along with chord length, to calculate the radius of curvature of an accelerated particle.
Using the intersecting chords theorem (also known as power of a point or secant tangent theorem) it is possible to calculate the radius r of a circle given the height H and the width W of an arc: Consider the chord with the same endpoints as the arc. Its perpendicular bisector is another chord, which is a diameter of the circle.
The radius of such a curve is 5729.57795. If the chord definition is used, each 100-unit chord length will sweep 1 degree with a radius of 5729.651 units, and the chord of the whole curve will be slightly shorter than 600 units.
When calculating the length of a short north-south line at the equator, the circle that best approximates that line has a radius of (which equals the meridian's semi-latus rectum), or 6335.439 km, while the spheroid at the poles is best approximated by a sphere of radius , or 6399.594 km, a 1% difference. So long as a spherical Earth is assumed ...
The value of the two products in the chord theorem depends only on the distance of the intersection point S from the circle's center and is called the absolute value of the power of S; more precisely, it can be stated that: | | | | = | | | | = where r is the radius of the circle, and d is the distance between the center of the circle and the ...