Why is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter important?

Question

Why did the first person even ask what it was?

In: 112

Answer 1

Think of a simple mechanical hand crank, like the one used to reel in a bucket from a water well. For each revolution of the crank, the rope will wrap around the axle by one revolution also. The circumference of that axle is going to be the same as the distance that the bucket moved up (not counting the thickness of the rope). A larger diameter axle is going to get you more distance per revolution. Basically it gives us a way to convert radial distance into linear distance, and vice versa. But to measure that exact distance, that’s why it’s important.