Math Is Fun Forum

Bob pretty much nailed it. I imagine you might be able to get a decent approximation if you could think of a hexagonal packing and extrapolate it to inscribe the hexagon in the circle. You'd have a lot less area to estimate on, then. I agree that your teacher is probably just looking for a decent thought process on how to approach the problem.

This sounds like a Google interview question, by the way. Similar to "How many golf balls can fit on a school bus?"