What is a Chord?
A line connecting two points on a circle — and the designs we can make with them.
Let’s start with a circle.
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Pick any two points on the circle’s edge.
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Connect them.
This is a chord — a line segment connecting two points on a circle.
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Your Turn
Draw a circle. Pick two points. Draw a chord.
Now draw a few more — somewhere between 5 and 20 chords.
Have fun! Use color!
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Finding Structure
If you want to make designs with chords on a circle, there are many approaches.
What ideas do you have? Try it.
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Here’s one approach: place points around the circle that are evenly spaced.
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Draw 10–20 chords connecting those points.
What does your design look like?
Is there order to it? A pattern?
Could you describe an algorithm or rule for someone else to recreate it?
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Assignment
- Create rules or an algorithm for making a design with chords
- Draw a circle using your algorithm
- What patterns formed?
- What questions can you ask about this design?
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