Calculate the missing ellipse dimension from major axis, minor axis, or average diameter, converting between in, ft, cm, m, and mm.
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Ellipse Diameter Formula
The following formula defines the arithmetic mean of the full major and minor axis lengths. It is not the equal-area diameter or a mean over all directions.
Variables:
- D is the average diameter of the ellipse (units)
- a is the length of the major axis (units)
- b is the length of the minor axis (units)
To calculate the average diameter of an ellipse, add the lengths of the major and minor axes together and divide by 2.
What is an Ellipse Diameter?
An ellipse has diameters that depend on direction. Its full major axis is the longest diameter and its full minor axis is the shortest. This calculator defines average diameter as the arithmetic mean of those two lengths. Use full axes, not semi-axes; the minor axis must not exceed the major axis. Equal axes describe a circle.
How to Calculate Ellipse Diameter?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Ellipse Diameter.
- First, measure the length of the major axis (a) of the ellipse.
- Next, measure the length of the minor axis (b) of the ellipse.
- Use the formula D = (a + b) / 2 to calculate the average diameter (D).
- Finally, calculate the average diameter of the ellipse.
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Major Axis Length (a) = 12 units
Minor Axis Length (b) = 8 units
