Math Proves 1 18-Inch Pizza Is Bigger Than 2 12-Inch Ones & We’re All Shook

Math Proves 1 18-Inch Pizza Is Bigger Than 2 12-Inch Ones & We’re All Shook

By Dave Basner

June 6, 2020

In school, everyone wonders if certain math lessons will ever be used in the real world and frankly, many of them aren’t, but there are some that aren’t just used, they can blow your mind. That’s exactly what happened this week thanks to the Fermat’s Library Twitter account, which has blown everyone’s mind by proving that one 18 inch pizza is more pizza than two 12 inch ‘zas.

Using simple geometry, the case is quickly made to always opt for a large instead of two mediums. You might remember that the area of a circle is the radius squared multiplied by pi (3.1615). Well the radius of an 18-incher is of course nine, nine squared is 81, and 81 times pi is 254. Compare that to two 12 inch pizzas, which have a combined area of just 226 square inches.

Here’s a useful counterintuitive fact: one 18 inch pizza has more ‘pizza’ than two 12 inch pizzas pic.twitter.com/hePSpG0pJs

— Fermat’s Library (@fermatslibrary) January 7, 2019

The world is having a variety of reactions to this earth-shattering news:

Damn you, big pizza! pic.twitter.com/SOVFPWAAsN

— (((Ryan Schriml))) (@EalingCA) January 7, 2019

And 12 + 12 = 24 which is more than 18. This must be quantum physics. I hear all kinds of strange things happen there.

— Scott Eisenberg (@rscotteisenberg) January 7, 2019

Yeah, but the crust is arguably the best part and two 12 inch pizzas have 33.3% more crust than a 18 inch pizza. And now I’m hungry, thanks @fermatslibrary! pic.twitter.com/ZUfGicpcWG

— Tamás Görbe 🇭🇺🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@TamasGorbe) January 7, 2019

A ‘slice of pizza’ is not a reliable unit of taste, volume, or value.

— Josh (@yourlefthand) January 7, 2019

At the very least this has proven that math can be helpful!

Photo: Getty Images