Name:__________________________

Angles in Polygons Investigation

PART A: Interior Angles
You are going to investigate angles inside polygons and look at what they total to when you add them
up. We call the angles inside a polygon ‘Interior Angles’.
Follow the instructions below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
1. Measure all the interior angles inside the shapes on your worksheets using a protractor. (pg 2)
2. Add all the interior angles up for each shape and write the answer under each shape.
3. Fill in the table below with your answers.

Sum of
Number of Size of each
Shape Name of Shape Interior
sides angle
angles

Round all your answers in the ‘sum of interior angles’ column to the nearest 10 degrees.

1
Sum of interior angles: Sum of interior angles: Sum of interior angles:

Sum of interior angles: Sum of interior angles: Sum of interior angles:

Sum of interior angles: Sum of interior angles:

2
Questions
1. Can you spot a pattern in how the sum of the interior angles increases as another side is added to
the shape?
2. Can you find a rule to explain how to get from the number of sides to the sum of the interior
angles?
3. Can you use your rule to work out what the sum of the interior angles would be for a
12 sided shape?
4. All the shapes in your investigation were regular (all sides and angles the same length).
Repeat the investigation by drawing your own irregular polygons (pg 4). Do you get the same results?

3
 Sum of
Number of Size of each
Shape (irregular polygon) Interior
sides angle
angles

10

4
PART B: Exterior Angles
Now you are going to investigate angles outside polygons and look at what they total to when you add
them up. We call the angles inside a polygon ‘Exterior Angles’.
Follow the instructions below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
1. Measure all the exterior angles inside the shapes on your worksheets using a protractor. (pg 6)
2. Add all the exterior angles up for each shape and write the answer under each shape.
3. Fill in the table below with your answers.

Sum of
Number of Size of each
Shape Name of Shape Interior
sides angle
angles

Round all your answers in the ‘sum of exterior angles’ column to the nearest 10 degrees.

5
Sum of exterior angles: Sum of exterior angles: Sum of exterior angles:

Sum of exterior angles: Sum of exterior angles: Sum of exterior angles:

Sum of exterior angles: Sum of exterior angles:

6
Questions
1. Can you spot a pattern in size of each angle changes as another side is added to the shape?
2. Can you find a rule to explain how to get from the size of each angle?
3. Can you use your rule to work out the size of each angle for a 12 sided shape?
4. All the shapes in your investigation were regular (all sides and angles the same length).
Repeat the investigation by drawing your own irregular polygons (pg 8). Do you get the same results?

7
 Sum of
Number of Size of each
Shape (irregular polygon) Interior
sides angle
angles

10