Calculating the Radius of a Semicircle With a Known Circumference

First, modify the formula for the circumference of a circle to reflect that you are dealing with a semicircle. The formula for the circumference of a circle (​C​) is as follows:

C = 2\pi r

Where ​r​ is the radius. Since a semicircle is one half of a circle, the circumference of a semicircle is half the circumference of a circle. The formula for the circumference of a semicircle (​SC​) is the formula for the circumference of a circle multiplied by one half, or 0.5.

SC = 0.5 × 2 \pi r

Since 0.5 × 2 = 1, you can write the equation this way:

SC = \pi r

Now solve the equation for ​r​, since you are trying to solve for radius. Do this by dividing both sides by π to get ​r​ by itself. The result is the following:

r = \frac{SC}{\pi}

Finally, plug in the value you have been given for the circumference of the semicircle and the value of π to calculate the radius. For example, if the semicircle has a circumference of 5 centimeters, the calculation would look like this:

r = \frac{5 \text{ cm}}{3.14} = 1.6 \text{ cm}

Calculating the Radius of a Semicircle With a Known Diameter

First, write the equation for the diameter of a circle, which is the same as the diameter of a semicircle. Since the diameter of a circle, or ​d​, is twice as long as the radius, or ​r​, the equation for diameter is the following:

d = 2r

Now rearrange the equation for the diameter of a circle to solve for radius. To solve for r, divide both sides by two. Doing so gives the following:

r = \frac{d}{2}

Finally, plug in the value that you have been given for the diameter of the semicircle. For example, if the diameter has a value of 20 cm the calculation would look like this:

r = \frac{20 \text{ cm}}{2} = 10 \text{ cm}

Tips

• Remember that π is a constant that is equal to approximately 3.14.