Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Wallace
Diameter can be applied to shapes that are not round.
Here is an interesting read on the subject.
Diameter, more generally, is the shortest distance between two parallel lines that touch the figure being measured. For figures that are not round, diameter can vary with orientation; major diameter and minor diameter correspond the orientations that give the maximum and minimum measurements, respectively. |
I've always taught major and minor diameter in reference to ellipses, but the diameter part comes from the construction method of the ellipse, not the end shape. I haven't heard the parallel lines definition before. I might need to read that book to learn some new tricks.