What do You Understand by Perimeter?
In geometry, the perimeter of a closed shape is defined as the total distance or length of its boundary. As a result, the perimeter of a 2D figure is often expressed as the sum of its sides; for example, the perimeter of a triangle will be found by adding together the measurements of all three sides.
Apart from calculating the perimeter of a triangle, you can also find the perimeter of the following shapes or figures:1
- A square
- A rectangle
- A circle
“Why is finding the perimeter important?”—This is a common question most people have when discussing the importance of perimeter in real life.
In the real world, calculating the perimeter helps you determine whether a place has enough space for specific activities. These could include playing games and running around the area without bumping into another person or object.
Calculating the perimeter also helps you understand how long it would take for you to walk from point A to point B or vice versa.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into the different ways you can use perimeter in real life. 2
So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right in.
1. For Measuring Fields or Land
The formula for calculating perimeter finds utility when measuring a field or piece of land. Farmers often calculate the perimeter of their land for fencing and plotting their crops.
They also do this to protect their farm from wild animals, which may cause damage to the crops if left unattended.
You might have also noticed how the boundaries of the public park nearby have cemented walls around them. This is again a very popular real-life application of perimeter.
2. For the Construction of Buildings and Residential Homes
The concept of a perimeter is also used while constructing commercial and residential buildings.2 It helps identify the geometrical aspects of buildings before and after construction.
Do you want to understand how this works? Simply observe the room you are sitting in.
The room has an area and perimeter, which have been designed using accurate measurements.
Combine the dimensions of all the rooms to calculate the perimeter of your home.
3. For Determining the Material Required During Construction
This is another popular application of perimeter in real life, especially when you’re adding more items to the place during construction.
That said, you can use the perimeter formula while adding cabins, doors, and fences on the boundary. Apart from this, you will also be required to calculate the perimeter while installing tents at home.
In this case, pipes will be used for marking the boundary, which is then measured using the perimeter.
- In the Field of Computer-Aided Graphic Design
Visual communication has grown to become a crucial aspect of marketing and sales in the modern world. There are multiple industries globally that use visual communication for depicting new ideas, along with several applications in the field of entertainment and education.
That said, the concept of perimeter finds extensive use in the field of graphic design. It is primarily used to draw accurate graphics, shapes, and characters.
The pictorial representation of objects must be precise, and thus, it requires you to know about the concepts of area and perimeter.
A good example of the same can be found in the gaming industry. Here, game designers use the principles of area and perimeter to create new characters and dimensions.
This keeps players hooked while making the gameplay more interesting.
- In the Field of Fashion and Art
Although underrated, the use of perimeter is extensive in the fields of art and fashion design. It is not just limited to sketching and painting but also in the world of apparel and accessory design.
The concept of the perimeter is used for cutting fabrics (an important part of apparel design), while in art, painters often use it to measure their brush strokes accurately.
6. In the Field of Astronomy
Astronomy is another popular application of perimeter in the real world. Astronomers and scientists use it to measure orbits and the movement of planets in the solar system. For a long time, astronomers have been using the formula of the perimeter to measure the distance between planets and their orbital motion.
As is evident, the perimeter is an important topic in math and geometry. It has found extensive application across fields over centuries, making the use of perimeter a crucial part of our everyday life.
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References
What is the perimeter? (n.d.). BBC Bitesize. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvmxsbk/articles/zsr4k7h
Singh, M. (2022, September 27). 7 Common Applications Of Area And Perimeter In Daily Life – Number Dyslexia. Number Dyslexia. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://numberdyslexia.com/applications-of-area-and-perimeter-in-daily-life/
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