calculate ellipses?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>Is there a formula to calculate the perimeter of an ellipse?</p>

2

<p>you could probably use the basic expression, </p>

<p>integration dx*sec@, where tan@=dy/dx.</p>

<p>of course, you need to do it for separate sections carefully so that everything remains positive.</p>

3

<p><a href=“http://www.efunda.com/math/areas/EllipseGen.cfm[/url]”>http://www.efunda.com/math/areas/EllipseGen.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In general, there is no formula in terms of elementary functions that gives the perimeter of an ellipse.</p>

4

<p>just use the ellipse function on your calc.</p>

5

<p>Wait (I could be completely wrong, but), couldn’t you (assuming ellipse centered at origin) find the equation of the part in first quadrant (or I and II), use arc length and multiply by 2?</p>

<p>:)</p>

6

<p>Still need calculus to find the arc length…</p>

7

<p>Wait, we’re not using Calc?</p>

<p>:)</p>