How to divide a circle into 5 equal parts

If you’re required to divide a circle into 5 equal parts and are looking for a handy guide which features easy to understand, step by step instructions, simply continue reading to discover how to divide a circle into 5 equal parts.

How to divide any circle into 5 equal, uniform parts:

Step one:

Your first step should be to draw a horizontal line across your circle’s diameter. Make sure to use a ruler so that your line is 100% straight. As you don’t want to draw a wonky line, that will instantly ruin your chance of being able to accurately seperate your circle into 5 equal parts.

The easiest way to complete this step is to use a compass to draw your circle so that you’ll be able to use the center dot as a reference to draw your straight vertical line through your circle’s diameter. As with no guide, it’s quite difficult to be able to draw an even, straight horizontal line across your circle’s diameter.

Step two:

Pick up your compass again and set your compass to the radius of your circle, which should be relatively simply. Make sure to place your compass on the edge of your circle where your horizontal line, which crosses your circle’s diameter hits the right side of your circle. From this point draw two little arcs which intersect your circle’s circumference.

Step three:

Mark the top arc which you’ve just drawn as e and the bottom arc which you’ve just drawn as f. As you’ll need to refer back to these points in the future.

Step four:

Next draw a vertical line through the center point of your circle, ensuring so that your circle now features a cross. Label the point which your line touches the top of your circle as G. Starting at point G draw a diagonal line down to point H, which will be the middle point between the two arcs you drew in step three.

Step five:

Now draw a small arc on the left of your original horizontal line and it call J.

Step six:

Step your compass at point G at the top of your circle and draw a line to point J.

Step seven:

Simply draw two tiny arcs which intersect your circle’s circumfrence on the left side of your circle and the right side of your circle. Now label the arc on the left side of your circle A and the arc on the right side of your circle B.

Step eight:

Keeping your compass the same size, now move your compass to point B. As you’ll need to draw a new arc which intersects your circle’s circumference at point C.

Step nine:

It’s now time to move your compass to point C. From this point make sure to draw an arc that intersects your circle’s circumference at point d.

Step ten:

Thankfully, you’ve now reached your last instruction. All that’s left to do is to erase your construction lines and you’ll have a circle which is evenly divided into 5 distinct, even parts.

Dividing a circle into five equal parts is a useful skill that enhances your understanding of geometry and symmetry. With the right techniques, you can achieve precise divisions for various projects and designs. As you work with circles, knowing how to measure a diameter will also prove beneficial for accurate calculations.