Mohd Khusaini Majid

Mrsm Kota Kinabalu

2.1 CONCEPT OF REGULAR

POLYGONS
A

An equilateral triangle has equal

sides and equal interior angles.
Thus, AB = BC = CA and
A = B = C = 60

A square has equal sides and

equal interior angles. Thus,
AB = BC = CD = DA and

C
A
B

A=

B=

C=

D = 90

RECALL
The sum of the interior
angles of a triangle is
180.
The sum of the interior
angles of a square is
360.
A regular polygon is a
polygon in which
a) all sides are of equal
length and

Is all sides of pentagon ABCDE

has the same length and the angles
b) all interior angles are
are of the same size?
of equal size.

Example 1
Determine if each of the polygons below is a regular
polygon. Give your reason if it is not a regular polygon.
a)

Solution:

b)

ABCD is not a regular polygon

because A B.

D
F

Solution:
ABCDEFGH is a regular polygon.

Test Yourself
Determine if the following are regular polygon. Give your
reason if it is not a regular polygon.
1.

2.

3 cm

3 cm

3 cm

3 cm

3.

4.
R

U
U
T

Exercise 2.1A
Copy the following polygons. Draw all the axes of
symmetry of each polygon if there are any. State the
number of axes of each polygon.
1.

2.

3.

4.

2.2 EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

ANGLES OF POLYGONS
Find the size of interior and exterior angles

exterior angle

interior angle

In a polygon, the interior and exterior angles lie on a straight line.

Interior angle + Exterior angle = 180

Example 4
Find the values of x and y in the following polygons.
a)

Solution:

105

x + 105 = 180
2y

x = 180 105
= 75
2y + y = 180
3y = 180
y = 180
3
= 60

b)
Solution:
100

2x + 100 = 180

2x
110

2x = 180 100

= 80
x = 80
2
= 40
y + 110 = 180
y = 180 - 110
= 70

Exercise 2.2A
Find the values of the unknown angles in each
polygons below.
1.

2.

110

b
48

132

75

Determine the sum of the interior angles of a polygon

RECALL
The sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180.
The sum of the interior angles of a square is 360.

What is the sum of the interior angles

of a pentagon, hexagon and other
polygons?

The sum of the interior angles of a polygon

with n sides is (n 2) x 180

Example 5
Find the value of x in each of the polygons below.
a)

95
110

120

Use (n 2) x 180

Solution:
The sum of the interior angles of a pentagon = (5 2) x 180
= 3 x 180
= 540
x + 90 + 120 + 95 + 110 = 540
x + 415 = 540
x = 540 415 = 125

b)

x
140
125
136

85

Solution:
The sum of the interior angles of a hexagon = (6 2) x 180
= 4 x 180
= 720
x + x + 140 + 125 + 136 + 85 = 720
2x + 486 = 720
2x = 720 486
x = 234 = 117
2

Example 6
Find the number of sides of a polygon if the sum of its
interior angles is
(a) 1440
(b) 1080
Solution:
(a) Let n be the number of sides
of a polygon.

(b) Let n be the number of sides

of the polygon

(n 2) x 180 = 1440

(n 2) x 180 = 1080

n 2 = 1440
180

n 2 = 1080
180

=8
n = 10

=6
n =8

Exercise 2.2B
1.

Find the sum of the interior angles of each of the

following polygons.
a) Pentagon
b) Heptagon
c) Decagon

2.

Find the number of sides of a polygon if the sum of its

interior angles is
a) 720
b) 900
c) 1260

3.

Find the value of x in each of the polygons below.

a)
144
160
135
140

130

b)
x
60
x

4.

The diagram below shows a hexagon. Find the value of

x + y.
y

70

x
y

Determine the sum of the exterior angles of a

polygon
A
D

The sum of the exterior angles of a

polygon is 360.

Example 7
Find the values of the unknown angles in each of the
polygons below.
Solution:

a)
y

x = 180 75

Supplementary angles

= 105
x

75

40

y = 360 (40 + 90 + 105)

= 360 235
= 125
z = 180 125

Sum of the exterior

angles of a polygon
is 360

= 55
Supplementary angles

b)

Solution:
60

x + 3x = 180

65
C
75
A

4x = 180

3x

x = 45

x
B

Extend the side EA.

Exterior angle of

A = 180 75
= 105

y = 360 (60 + 45 + 105 + 65)

= 360 275
= 85

Sum of the exterior angles

of a polygon is 360

Exercise 2.2C
1.

Calculate the unknown angles in the following

polygons.

75

b)

a)
112

60
80
x
45

150

c)

d)

100

150

75

74

s
68

110
140
z

Find the interior angles, exterior angles and number

of sides of a regular polygon
A regular polygon has equal interior angles, equal exterior angles and sides
of equal length.
The sum of the interior angles of a polygon with n sides is (n 2) x 180.

Thus, each interior angle of a regular polygon is

(n 2) x 180
n
The sum of the exterior angles of a polygon is 360.

Notes

Thus, each exterior angle of a

polygon is 360
n

If exterior angle = 360 , then

n
interior angle = 180 - 360 .
n

Example 8
Find the size of the interior angle and the exterior angle of
a regular heptagon.
Solution:
A regular heptagon has 7 sides.
Sum of the interior angles = (7 2) x 180
= 900
Each interior angle = 900
7

Each exterior angle = 360

7
= 51 3
7

= 128 4
7
ANOTHER WAY:

Exterior angle = 180 Interior angle

= 180 128 4 = 51 3
7
7

Example 9
Find the number of sides of a regular polygon given that
(a) the exterior angle is 72 (b) the interior angle is 140
Solution:
(a) Let n be the number of sides of the polygon.
360 = 72
n
Thus,

= 360
72
=5

(b) Let n be the number of sides of the polygon.

(n 2) x 180 = 140
n
180n 360 = 140n
180n - 140n = 360
40n = 360
Thus,
n = 360
40
=9
Another Way:

Interior angle = 140

Exterior angle = 180 - 140
= 40
Hence, 360 = 40
n
n =9

Exercise 2.2D
1.

Find the size of the interior and exterior angles of the

following regular polygons.
a)
b)
c)
d)

2.

Pentagon
Octagon
Hexagon
Decagon

Find the number of sides of a regular polygon, given

that its
a)
b)
c)
d)

interior angle is 135

interior angle is 108
exterior angle is 36
exterior angle is 120

Solve problems involving angles and sides of

polygons

Example 10
Amin is given a square tile and two regular hexagonal
tiles. All the tiles have sides of equal length.
Determine if he can form a tessellation with these
tiles. If Amin must use the square tile, find two other
tiles which can tessellate with the square tile.

Solution:
Stage 1

Understand the problem

Given : One square and two hexagons with sides of
the same length
Find : Sum of one interior angle of a square and one
interior angle of each hexagon

Stage 2

Devising a strategy
Find the interior angles of the three polygons.
Add to see if the sum of the three interior angles
mentioned above 360.

Stage 3

Carrying out the strategy

Interior angle of a square is 90.
Interior angle of a hexagon is 180 - 360 = 120
6
Sum of interior angles of the square and two hexagons
is 90 + (2 x 120) = 330. Thus, the three tiles do not
tessellate.
If Amin has to use the square tile and needs to find two
tiles which can tessellate with it, each interior angle of
the other two tiles is 360 - 90 = 135.
2

The sum of the interior angles of the square tile and the two other tiles must be 360.
Thus,
90 + (2 x interior angle) = 360
Interior angle = 360 - 90
2

(n 2) x 180
n
180n 360
45n
n

= 135
= 135n
= 360
= 360 = 8
45

Thus, the other two tiles should be in the shape of an

octagon.
Stage 4

Checking the answer

Use the strategy of working backwards.
If two octagonal tiles are used, each interior angle is
135.
Sum of the two interior angles of the two tiles is
2 x 135 = 270.
To tessellate, the interior angle of the third polygon is
360 - 270 = 90. Thus, a square tile is needed to
tessellate with two octagonal tiles.

Exercise 2.2E
1.

In the diagram, ABCD is part of a regular decagon.

FBCG is part of a regular polygon. Calculate
a) the number of sides
b) the sum of the interior angles
of the regular polygon FBCG.

D
B

SUMMARY

POLYGONS II

Regular polygon

Exterior angle and interior angle

A polygon in which all the sides are of equal

length and all the interior angles are of equal
size

exterior angle
interior angle

Interior angle + Exterior angle = 180

Equilateral
triangle

Square

Regular
pentagon

Regular
hexagon

Irregular polygon
A polygon in which not all the sides are of
equal length or not all the interior angles are of
equal size
Scalene triangle

Rectangle

Parallelogram

Axis of symmetry
The number of axes of symmetry of a regular
polygon is equal to its number of sides.

The sum of the exterior angles of any

polygon is 360.
The sum of the interior angles of a
polygon with n sides is (n 2) x 180.

The interior angle of a regular

polygon with n sides is (n - 2) x 180 .
n
The exterior angle of a regular
polygon with n sides is 360 .
n