What is this shape?

[LandShark]

Anyone know the proper geometric name for this specific shape. The drawing is not perfect. It has two equal length parallel sides and symmetrical curved ends. It could be called a hotdog or race track shape, but I'm looking for a more proper name. I don't believe 'oval' is specific enough, because an oval does not have to have parallel sides.

 

[Softe]

Up North we call it a "Hockey Rink" eh!

 

[klenger]

Elipse?

 

[LandShark]

klenger: I don't think an ellipse is allowed to have any parallel sides.

 

[klenger]

In that case I would call it a "filleted rectangle"

 

[fest3er]

It could be the 2D projection of a torus. Or it could be the 2D projection of a cylinder. Or it is a 3D drawing of a cylinder with one edge removed.



Fest3er

 

[Stranger]

Rhombus?

 

[Archive]

In air traffic control, we have air refuelers fly that pattern... we call it a racetrack pattern.

 

[cap-n-cray]

A Pill?

 

[hdm48]

A really fast sprint car track. heh-heh

 

[LandShark]

Stranger: A parallelogram must have four equal sides.



'Racetrack' is the most accurate description so far, but not very Greek. I'm looking for a word which describes this exact general shape.



Klenger: "filleted rectangle" is not descriptive enough.

 

[BCFAST]

RaceTrack?

Sorry guys, but a REAL race track doesnt just go round-and-round! I believe this shape is called an elipse.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Sorry guys, but a REAL race track doesnt just go round-and-round!



That is the 1 mile racetrack at Dover Downs in Delaware



Sam

 

[Doc Tinker]

I'd venture a guess that it's an elliptic curve, but I haven't found anything that would support my guess. I'll update this post if I can find something to support me.



Doc

 

[LandShark]

I don't think you can call it an ellipse or elliptic curve because it has two parallel sides.

 

[WOWZY]

Maxi-Pad!!



Ones of the few things that I refuse to pick up for the wife at the grocery store!

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Rob, us pilots call it a holding pattern - but that wouldn't be the shape!!



-Steve

 

[Doc Tinker]

Well. . How about "oval"?

 

[Archive]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

Rob, us pilots call it a holding pattern - but that wouldn't be the shape!!

-Steve

Steve... seems to be a dirty word to most pilots! Maybe the word to describe this shape only has four letters!

 

[ACoyle]

I don't think that this figure has an exact name. It is two chords and a rectangle. You can draw two verticle lines and make a rectangle. What is left on either end is a chord.



I don't know if you are trying to calculate that area of the figure or just curious. If the line that defines the semi circle is a diameter then the job gets easier. Find the area of the circle and then the area of the rectangle and add them. If the line is less than a diameter then you have a chord. It's a little more complicated to do the math.



Does all of this make sense.