apothem
/ˈapəθɛm
/noun Geometry
A line from the centre of a regular polygon at right angles to any of its sides.Given a circle, the apothem is the perpendicular distance from the midpoint of a chord to the circle's center....
- Once the perimeter and the apothem are known, the formula relating the two to area can be used to solve for the area.
- For a polygon of n sides, there are n possible apothems, all the same length of course.
Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek apotithenai 'put aside, deposit', from apo 'away' + tithenai 'to place'.