POLYGONS

We
about
and

studied
triangle

quadrilaterals.

A triangle has three sides and three angles.

A quadrilateral has four sides and four angles.

Let us study about the shapes with more sides.
If a shape has 5 sides and 5 angles then it is known as pentagon.

If a shape has 6 sides and 6 angles it is known as hexagon.

If a shape has 7 sides and 7 angles is known as heptagon.
Similarly octagon, nonagon , decagon.
There is a common name for all these together polygons
A polygon is a simple closed curve formed of only line segments .
A triangle is a very common example.

CONVEX AND CONCAVE POLYGONS

A polygon is said to be convex if it has no portion of its exterior
otherwise it is said to be a concave polygon

A quadrilateral can be split in to two triangles by drawing a

diagonal.
Similarly in a pentagon ,if we choose a vertex ,skip the one near it
and join with the next vertex ,we can divide it in to a quadrilateral
and a triangle.
In a hexagon if we choose a vertex skip the one
near it and join with the next vertex. We can divide it in to a
pentagon and a triangle.Thus we can divide any polygon in to
another polygon with one side less than a polygon and a triangle
by drawing a line starting at any vertex and joining with the next.

TRIANGULAR DIVISION
`POLYGON
QUADRILATERAL

NO OF SIDES
4

NO:OF
TRIANGLE
2 (4-2=2)

PENTAGON

3(5-2=3)

HEXAGON

4(6-2=4)

HEPTAGON

5(7-2=5)

OCTAGON

6(8-2=6)

In general , what is the relation between the number of sides of

the polygons and the number of triangle we get like this?
The number of triangles=number of sides of polygon-2
That is the number of triangles got by dividing polygon is two less
than the number of sides.

SUM OF THE ANGLES

We know that the sum of the angles
of a triangle is 180 and the sum of the angles of a quadrilateral is
360.
How we found that the sum of the angles of a quadrilateral is
360?

When we draw a diagonal of a quadrilateral, it is split in to two

triangles. The diagonal also divides in to two , the angle at each of
the vertex it passess through one part in one triangle and the
other part in the other triangle.Thus the angles of the
quadrilateral become the angles of these two triangles, and so
their sum is 2 X 180=360
Similarly we can compute the sum of the angles of a pentagon,it
is split in to a quadrilateral and triangle .

Sum of the angles of a

pentagon=Sum of the angles of a quadrilateral+Sum of the
angles of the triangle
=360+180=540
Can you find like this the sum of the angles of hexagon by
splitting it into a pentagon and a triangle .
Sum of the angles of a hexagon=sum of the angles of the
pentagon +sum of the angles of the triangle
=540+180=720
Generally speaking we can divide a polygon in to a previous
polygon and a triangle; and so its sum of the angles will be
180more the sum of the angles of the previous one.
So can you say what the sum of the angles of a ten sided
polygon?
How about a twenty sided polygon?
20 sides means , 17 sides more than a triangle , and this means
the sum increases by 17 x 180
The sum of the angles of a 20 sided polygon=180+ (17 x 180)
= 18 x 180
=3240
We can write this as a general principle , using a bit of algebra.
To get an n sided polygon,we start with a triangle and add n-3
sides more. Adding each side increases the sum of angles by
180.So the sum of the angles of an n sided polygon is (n-3) x
180 more than the sum of the angles of a triangle.

Thatis the sum of the angles is

=180 + (n-3) x180=1+(n-3) X180
=(n-2) x 180
The sum of the angles of an n sided
polygon is (n-2) x 180

EXTERNAL ANGLES

In triangle ABC , the side BC is extended and this produces a new

angle outside the triangle. This angle ACD is called an external
angle of the triangle.
What is the relation between this angle and the angle ACB of the
triangle?
<ACB and <ACD form a linear pair.
So <ACD=180-<ACB
Now instead of AB , if we extend AC then also we get external
angle at C

The opposite angles made by the lines are equal.

SUM OF THE EXTERNAL ANGLES OF A TRIANGLE

The sum of the external angle at A and the angle of the triangle at

A is 180.
The sum of the three pairs of external and internal angles is 3 x
180=540
That is the sum of the three external angles and the the three
angles of the triangle is 540. In this the sum of the angles of the
triangle is 180.
From this we see that the sum of the external angles only is 540180=360

SUM OF THE EXTERNAL ANGLES OF A

QUADRILATERAL

Here at each four vertices , there is a linear pair formed by an

external angle and an angle of the quadrilateral. The sum of the
angles in each such pair is 180.
So four external angles and the four angles of the quadrilateral
together make 4 x 180 =720.
So sum of the four external angle is 720-360=360
Lets think about an n sided polygon in general. There are n
vertices in all; and at each vertex a linear pair formed by an
external angle and anangle of the polygon itself. So the sum of all

these angles is n x 180. In this sum of the angles of the polygon

is (n-2) x 180
So the sum of the external angles =n x 180-(n-2) x 180
=2 x 180
=360
The sum of the external angles of
polygon is 360
Practice problems1(1)
1. The sum of the angles of a polygon is 2160. What is the sum
of angles of a polygon with one or more side? What about a
polygon with one side less?
2. What is the sum of the angles of a polygon with 102 sides?
3. The sum of the angles of a polygon is 2700. How many
sides does it have?
4. Each angle of a polygon is 150.How many sides does it
have?
Practice problems 1(2)
1. The angles of a triangle are 30,40,and 110.Find the
measures of its external angles?
2. Three angles of a quadrilateral are 60,75and 100. Find the
fourth angle .Also find all the four external angles?
3. Prove that in any quadrilateral ,the sum of the external
angles at two vertices. Is equal to the sum of the internal
angles at the other two vertices.
4. In a 12 sided polygon , the external angles are equal.How
much is each external angle? And each angle of the
polygon ?
5. A 10 sidedpolygon has all its angles are equal.How much is
each external angle?