SECTION 2

CHORDS, SEGMENTS, HOLE CIRCLES, AND

SPHERES
HANDBOOK Pages 51, 78, 85, 686, and 692— 704
A chord of a circle is the distance along a straight line from one
point to any other point on the circumference. A segment of a cir-
cle is that part or area between a chord and the arc it intercepts.
The lengths of chords and the dimensions and areas of segments
are often required in mechanical work.
Lengths of Chords.—The table of chords, Handbook 704, can be
applied to a circle of any diameter as explained and illustrated by
examples on 695 and 704. The table is given to six decimal places
so that it can be used in connection with precision tool work. Addi-
tional related formulas are given on page 686.
Example 1:A circle has 56 equal divisions and the chordal dis-
tance from one division to the next is 2.156 inches. What is the
diameter of the circle?
The chordal length in the table for 56 divisions and a diameter
of 1 equals 0.05607; therefore, in this example,
2.156 = 0.05607 × Diameter
2.156
Diameter = ------------------- = 38.452 inches
0.05607
Example 2:A drill jig is to have eight holes equally spaced
around a circle 6 inches in diameter. How can the chordal distance
between adjacent holes be determined when the table on Hand-
book page 704 is not available?
One-half the angle between the radial center lines of adjacent
holes = 180 ÷ number of holes. If the sine of this angle is multi-
plied by the diameter of the circle, the product equals the chordal
distance. In this example, we have 180 ÷ 8 = 22.5 degrees. The
sine of 22.5 degrees from a calculator is 0.38268; hence, the
5
6 CHORDS AND SEGMENTS

chordal distance = 0.38268 × 6 = 2.296 inches. The result is the

same as would be obtained with the table on Handbook page 704
because the figures in the column “Length of the Chord” represent
the sines of angles equivalent to 180 divided by the different num-
bers of spaces.
Use of the Table of Segments of Circles—Handbook
page 78 .—This table is of the unit type in that the values all apply
to a radius of 1. As explained above the table, the value for any
other radius can be obtained by multiplying the figures in the table
by the given radius. For areas, the square of the given radius is
used. Thus, the unit type of table is universal in its application.
Example 3:Find the area of a segment of a circle, the center angle
of which is 57 degrees, and the radius 21⁄2 inches.
First locate 57 degrees in the center angle column; opposite this
figure in the area column will be found 0.0781. Since the area is
required, this number is multiplied by the square of 21⁄2. Thus,
0.0781 × (21⁄2)2 = 0.488 square inch
Example 4:A cylindrical oil tank is 41⁄2 feet in diameter, 10 feet
long, and is in a horizontal position. When the depth of the oil is 3
feet, 8 inches, what is the number of gallons of oil?
The total capacity of the tank equals 0.7854 × (41⁄2)2 × 10 = 159
cubic feet. One U.S. gallon equals 0.1337 cubic foot (see Hand-
book page 2678); hence, the total capacity of the tank equals 159 ÷
0.1337 = 1190 gallons.
The unfilled area at the top of the tank is a segment having a
height of 10 inches or 10⁄27 (0.37037) of the tank radius. The nearest
decimal equivalent to 10⁄27 in Column h of the table starting on
page 78 is 0.3707; hence, the number of cubic feet in the segment-
shaped space = (272 × 0.401 × 120) ÷ 1728 = 20.3 cubic feet and
20.3 ÷ 0.1337 = 152 gallons. Therefore, when the depth of oil is 3
feet, 8 inches, there are 1190 − 152 = 1038 gallons. (See also
Handbook page 68 for additional information on the capacity of
cylindrical tanks.)
Example 5:Use the tank from Example 4 and the table on Hand-
book page 78 to estimate the height of fuel in the tank when the
tank contains 150 gallons.
 CHORDS AND SEGMENTS 7

When the tank contains 150 gallons, it is 150⁄1190 × 100 = 12.6%

full. In the table starting on page 78, locate the value in the A⁄π col-
umn closest to 12.6 and find the corresponding value of h. For A⁄π =
12.4, h = .36392, and the approximate height of fuel in the tank is h
× r = 0.36392 × 2.25 ×12 = 9.83 inches.
Coordinates of Hole Circles.—A discussion of techniques avail-
able for calculating the coordinates of hole circles begins on Hand-
book page 692, and tables of calculated hole circle coordinates are
given starting on page 696. In these tables, the coordinates given
are based on a hole circle diameter of one unit.
Example 6:If the hole circle described in Example 2 is oriented
with respect to its coordinate axis as in Fig. 1b, Handbook
page 692, what are the coordinates of the holes.
As illustrated below, the unit coordinates for each hole given in
8-hole list of Table 1b, page 698 of the Handbook is multiplied by
6, the diameter of the hole circle.

8 holes around 1-inch 8 holes around 6-inch

diameter circle diameter circle
# x y # x y
1 0.50000 0.00000 1 3.00000 0.00000
2 0.14645 0.14645 2 0.87870 0.87870
3 0.00000 0.50000 3 0.00000 3.00000
4 0.14645 0.85355 4 0.87870 5.12130
5 0.50000 1.00000 5 3.00000 6.00000
6 0.85355 0.85355 6 5.12130 5.12130
7 1.00000 0.50000 7 6.00000 3.00000
8 0.85355 0.14645 8 5.12130 0.87870
Spheres.—Handbook page 85 gives formulas for calculating
spherical areas and volumes. Additional formulas are given start-
ing on page 51.
Example 7:If the diameter of a sphere is 245⁄8 inches, what is the
volume, given the formula:
Volume = 0.5236d3
The cube of 245⁄8 = 14,932.369; hence, the volume of this sphere
= 0.5236 × 14,932.369 = 7818.5 cubic inches
8 EXERCISES

Example 8:If the sphere in Example 7 is hollow and 1⁄4 inch

thick, what is its weight?
The volume can be obtained using the formula for Gv in the
table starting on Handbook page 52, and the density of steel from
the table of specific gravity on Handbook page 380.
4π π
G v = ------ ( R 13 – R 23 ) = --- ( d 13 – d 23 )
3 6
π
volume of sphere wall = --- ( 24.625 3 – 24.125 3 ) = 466.65 in 3
6
1ft 3
466.65 in 3 × --------------------- = 0.27 ft 3
1728 in 3
weight of sphere = 491 × 0.27 = 132.6 lb

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR SECTION 2

(See Answers to Practice Exercises For Section 2 on page 223)
1) Find the lengths of chords when the number of divisions of a
circumference and the radii are as follows: 30 and 4; 14 and 21⁄2; 18
and 31⁄2.
2) Find the chordal distance between the graduations for thou-
sandths on the following dial indicators: (a) Starrett has 100 divi-
sions and 13⁄8-inch dial. (b) Brown & Sharpe has 100 divisions and
13⁄4 inch dial. (c) Ames has 50 divisions and 15⁄8 - inch dial.
3) The teeth of gears are evenly spaced on the pitch circumfer-
ence. In making a drawing of a gear, how wide should the dividers
be set to space 28 teeth on a 3-inch diameter pitch circle?
4) In a drill jig, 8 holes, each 1⁄2 inch diameter, were spaced evenly
on a 6-inch diameter circle. To test the accuracy of the jig, plugs
were placed in adjacent holes. The distance over the plugs was
measured by micrometer. What should be the micrometer reading?
5) In the preceding problem, what should be the distance over
plugs placed in alternate holes?
6) What is the length of the arc of contact of a belt over a pulley 2
feet, 3 inches in diameter if the arc of contact is 215 degrees?
 EXERCISES 9

7) Find the areas, lengths, and heights of chords of the following

segments: (a) radius 2 inches, angle 45 degrees; (b) radius 6
inches, angle 27 degrees.
8) Find the number of gallons of oil in a tank 6 feet in diameter
and 12 feet long if the tank is in a horizontal position, and the oil
measures 2 feet deep.
9) Find the surface area of the following spheres, the diameters of
which are: 11⁄2; 33⁄8; 65; 203⁄4.
10) Find the volume of each sphere in the above exercise.
11) The volume of a sphere is 1,802,725 cubic inches. What are
its surface area and diameter?
12) The tables beginning on Handbook page 704 give lengths of
chords for spacing off circumferences of circles into equal parts. Is
another method available?