As kids, all of us surely did enjoy shapes. Whether the shapes were two-dimensional or three-dimensional, they always piqued our interest. There are a lot of shapes to learn from and many different shapes can be seen in the day to day life easily. Furthermore, a polygon is a two-dimensional shape that has a finite number of sides connected from end to end. So, today we are going to learn what is a polygon shape, what are the sides of a polygon, what are the 7 types of polygons and is a polygon of 5 sides used in geometry or not. Hence, buckle up and continue reading!
1. What are the Sides of a Polygon?
The answer to the question of what are the sides of a polygon or what is a polygon shape is that all the line segments that are joined end to end make up its sides. The more line segments are present in the polygon, the more sides it will have. Since a polygon has a finite number of sides, it can easily be counted. Usually, a polygon has sides of equal length however, in irregular polygons, the measurement of the line segment or the sides can differ from each other.
The side length of a polygon can easily be found using apothem or in-radius, number of sides, and tangent function calculation. Depending on the number of sides, the polygon is given different names. For example, a polygon with four sides is called a quadrilateral, five sides is called a pentagon, six sides is called a hexagon, and so on. Also, check out what is a circle degree chart?
2. How many Sides are in a Polygon?
Now that you know what are the sides of a polygon, let’s move on to how many sides are there in total. A polygon can have any number of sides which is more than three. This is because only the two-dimensional shapes which have more than three sides are known as polygons.
Mostly, we study polygons that have sizes lesser than 10. However, a polygon can easily have more than 10 sides. The largest polygon with the most number of sides is known as a Megagon with 1000000 sides. The number of sides defines the name of a polygon. (See How many cm in a Meter?)
3. How many lines are in a Polygon?
To understand this question, you might first recap what you read under what are the sides of a polygon. The lines in a polygon are also known as the sides or edges of the polygon. So, it does not matter how big or small you a polygon is, because the more size it will have, the more lines or edges there will be. Since lines and sides mean the same thing, if a polygon has four sides, it will mean that it has four lines. Similarly, if a polygon has 50 sides, that will mean it has 50 lines. Must read how many vertices does a triangle have?
4. What are the 7 Types of Polygons?
There are 10 types of polygons, however, we are going to learn about the major seven types of polygons. This will also tell us more about what is a polygon shape. Since we already know that all polygons are two-dimensional figures, it remains the same with different types of polygons. So, what are the 7 types of polygons? They are:
- Regular polygons: When all the sides or line segments of a polygon are equal, they are known as regular polygons. For example, a regular octagon has eight equal sides.
- Irregular polygons: When the different sides or line segments of a polygon are of different measurements, they are known as irregular polygons. For example, a regular hexagon with six sides would have different measurements for each side.
- Concave polygons: When at least one side of a polygon is larger than 180° when measured, it is known as a concave polygon.
- Convex polygons: Convex polygons are the exact opposite of concave polygons. In a concave polygon, at least one side of a polygon should be larger than 180°, however, in convex polygons, at least one side of the polygon should be lesser than 180° when measured.
- Quadrilateral polygons: All the polygons that have four sides whether equal or not are known as quadrilateral polygons or quadrangles. For example, rhombus, squares, rectangles, and parallelograms categorize under quadrilateral polygons.
- Trigons: Just as the name suggests, any polygon that has three sides is known as a trigon. Trigons are of three types which are, scalene triangles, isosceles triangles, and equilateral triangles.
- Pentagon polygons: Pentagons have five sides. So, any polygon that is made up of five equal or unequal sides, is referred to as a pentagon polygon. Also, check out what are the types of functions?
5. What is a Polygon with 4 Sides?
A polygon that has four equal or unequal sides is referred to as a quadrilateral or quadrangle. A quadrilateral with equal sides is known as a regular quadrilateral. However, a quadrilateral with unequal sides is known as an irregular quadrilateral. Shapes like squares, rhombuses, rectangles, and parallelograms have four sides and are known as quadrangles. When we talk about the diagonals of a quadrilateral, we can say that it can be determined by considering the vertices of opposite sides.
6. Is a Polygon of 5 sides exists?
A polygon that has five equal or unequal sides is known as a pentagon. When a polygon has five equal sides it is known as a regular pentagon. However, when a polygon has five unequal sides is an irregular pentagon. Another way to determine if a polygon is a pentagon or not is to add the sum of all the angles. If the sum of all interior angles is 540°, then this two-dimensional shape is considered a pentagon. So, yes, a pentagon is a polygon of 5 sides that exists and is used in geometry. To know more about it, go through the article How many Sides does a Pentagon have?
7. Does a Polygon have 6 Sides?
The answer to this question is yes. A polygon can have six sides. A polygon that has equal or unequal six sides is known as a hexagon. A regular hexagon consists of six equal sides, whereas, an irregular hexagon consists of six unequal sides. (See How Long is 7 inches Compared to an Object?)
8. What is a Polygon with 7 Sides?
A polygon with seven sides whether equal or unequal is known as a heptagon or septagon. A polygon that has regular or equal sides is known as a regular heptagon, whereas, the one with irregular sides is known as an irregular heptagon. (See 9 out of 12 is What Percent?)
9. What is a Polygon with 8 Sides?
A polygon that has eight equal or unequal sides is known as an octagon. An octagon with regular or equal sides is known as a regular octagon, whereas, the one having unequal sides is known as an irregular octagon. An octagon whether regular or irregular has eight angles as well. (See How long is 8 inches Compared to an Object?)
10. What Polygon has 9 Sides?
A nine-sided polygon has many different names, however, the most famous one is nonagon. The other name of a nonagon is Enneagon or 9-gon. When we add the sum of all the interior angles of a nonagon, it adds up to 1260°. (Also read What Instrument is Used to Measure Mass of an Object?)
