Oval Shape: How Is It Made, Where Can You Find It In Nature And More!

An oval is considered a convex, closed curve.

You may have assumed or learned that the orbits of moons or planets are circular. However, orbits are actually elliptical to a certain degree.

There are many shapes that we have learned about in school. All that we see around us is made of different shapes, from a rectangle to a circle.

The oval shape has no straight edges or straight lines. The word oval is a derivation of the Latin word 'ovum', meaning 'egg'.

This term, however, is not specific. In a few areas like technical drawing, this shape has an accurate definition that likely includes one to two axis of symmetry in an ellipse. In English, an oval is any shape that reminds you of an egg.

A three-dimension oval is known as an ovoid. When a curve in geometry is described as an oval, it is not precise, except in projective geometry.

Although a lot of distinct curves are known as ovals, a plane curve resembling an ellipse and the shape of an egg is usually called an oval. Ovals have no self-intersecting lines, are simple (they do not self-intersect) plane curves, are smooth looking, convex, and closed.

If you enjoy reading these facts about the oval shape, then make sure to read some more interesting facts about the shape of Earth and shape poems for kids here at Kidadl.

Oval Examples In Real Life

Oval shapes that can be seen in real life are eggs, balloons, American footballs, watermelons, lemons, avocados, grapes, and bulbs.

An oval shape in a curved plane resembles an egg shape. There are two lines of symmetry in an oval-shaped object. The egg is the best example because the Latin meaning of oval translates to ovum or egg.

So, you can say that an oval is egg-shaped. However, not only an egg but also many common objects around you are oval, like an oval gem in a ring or oval rug. An American football is oval-shaped.

The head of your badminton racket or the rim of the stringed area is oval-shaped. Balloons, lemons, and watermelons are commonly oval-shaped.

A popular shape for a mirror is oval and can be easily found around the house. If you observe nature, some leaves are oval-shaped, for example, magnolia and hackberry plants. There are around nine types of face shapes, and an oval shape is one of them.

Is an oval and an ellipse the same?

No, in geometry, an oval and an ellipse are not the same shapes.

Both an ellipse and an oval look similar; however, their precise meanings are often confused. Both are planar shapes with smooth curves or no corners and elongated nature, but there are subtle differences.

The intersection of plane surface and conic surface produces a closed curve called an ellipse. Another definition of an ellipse is the locus produced by a set of points on a plane in a way that the sum of distances from two fixed points to one point remains constant.

These fixed points are called foci.

A major axis is a line segment that passes through foci, while the line that is perpendicular to the major axis passes through the ellipse's center is called the minor axis. Half of the minor and major axis is called the semi-minor and semi-major axis, respectively.

An oval is not accurately defined in mathematics, but it is considered a figure formed when a circle is stretched by its opposite sides. Ovals do not always take the shape of an ellipse.

So, the oval has no geometric figure in math, while the ellipse is a conic section with eccentricity anywhere between zero and one. An ellipse is an oval and has two axes of symmetry, whereas an oval has one or two axes.

Properties Of An Oval Shape

The oval shape is broadly elliptical and looks like an egg. It has a flat, curved surface, no fixed distance from the center, no straight sides, and no vertices or corners.

Certain properties differentiate an oval from any other figure. Ovals take the shape of an egg in common speech. Sometimes the word refers to a figure resembling two semicircles joined by a rectangle, such as an athletics track or cricket infield.

This can be called a rectangle with rounded corners. The three-dimensional ovoid is formed by the rotation of an oval curve around one of its own lines of symmetry. Terms like ovate and ovoidal are adjectives to define a feature with an ovoid figure.

An oval has no vertices or corners, it has a flat, curved surface, and sometimes an axis of symmetry can be observed. An oval has a plane curve and a smooth, closed shape without straight sides.

Construction Of An Oval Shape

You can construct an oval using a compass and a ruler or a rubber band.

In two dimensions, plane geometric shapes are flat shapes like a square, rectangle, oval, or circle. In the three-dimensional plane, geometric shapes become cubes, cuboids, ovoids, or spheres.

An oval is constructed using two pairs of arcs and two different radii in technical drawing. These arcs are joined at one point, where lines lying tangentially to both join arcs on the same line and make a smooth joint. Any point in an oval belongs to this arc, having a constant radius.

To construct an oval, you can use a rubber band. You will need a rubber band, two nails, and a pencil. Fix the rubber band on the two opposite sides using the band on paper.

Draw an oval shape with a pencil by stretching the band. Another way is to use a compass. Make two circles with the same radius next to each other, touching each other at one point.

Draw a straight line that joins both the diameter. Draw perpendicular bisector of the line joining the diameter.

Expand the compass' legs as big as the distance between the bisecting point and the point on any small circle created by the bisecting line. Now draw an arc and repeat this using the other bisecting point to create another arc. You will make an oval!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestion for 'Oval shape' then why not take a look at 'Circle symbolism' or 'Bird wing shapes'?