Diameter of a Circle Formula

Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter
Formula:

What is the formula for the diameter of a circle?

Answer

Diameter of a circle
d = 2 · r

Here r is the radius. The result comes out in units.

Where the formula comes from

d = 2 · r

The diameter is any straight line through the centre from edge to edge, and it is made of two radii laid end to end. If what you know is the circumference instead, d = C/π; if it is the area, d = 2·√(A/π).

Worked examples

Let r = 5. Then the diameter of a circle = 10 units.

Let r = 3.2. Then the diameter of a circle = 6.4 units.

The common mistake

Treating the widest measurement of an oval as THE diameter. Both a circle and an ellipse have endlessly many chords through the centre; the circle's are all the same length, which is why it has a single number, while the ellipse's run from the short axis to the long one.

See Also

Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter

These are the formulas for the area, perimeter, circumference, volume and surface area of the standard shapes — 31 of them. Each page shows not only the formula but where it comes from, what every letter stands for, two worked examples and the mistake that this particular shape invites. For example, it can help you find out what is the formula for the diameter of a circle? (The answer is: d = 2 · r). Pick the pair — "Area of a circle", for instance — and hit the "Find out" button.
Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter
Formula:

Values from the Formula

If r =Diameter
12 units
24 units
36 units
48 units
510 units
1020 units

FAQ

What is the formula for the diameter of a circle?

Diameter of a circle d = 2 · r

Where does this formula come from?

The diameter is any straight line through the centre from edge to edge, and it is made of two radii laid end to end. If what you know is the circumference instead, d = C/π; if it is the area, d = 2·√(A/π).

What is the most common mistake here?

Treating the widest measurement of an oval as THE diameter. Both a circle and an ellipse have endlessly many chords through the centre; the circle's are all the same length, which is why it has a single number, while the ellipse's run from the short axis to the long one.

How do I use this formula?

Put your own numbers in place of the letters. With r = 3.2, for instance, the formula d = 2 · r gives = 6.4 units.