5 Angles
In a regular polygon, all the sides are the same length and all the angles
are the same size. This is a regular pentagon. The sum of the five angles
is 540°, so each angle of a regular pentagon is 540° ÷ 5 = 108°.
Exercise 5.2
1 Work out the missing interior angle of this pentagon.
85°
120°
125°
100°
2 Four angles of a pentagon are 125° each. Work out the size of the fifth angle.
3 Two angles of a pentagon are 112° each and two angles are 90° each.
Calculate the fifth angle.
4 a Work out the value of x.
b Work out the largest angle of the pentagon.
x°
(x + 25)°
x°
x° x°
5 The angles of a pentagon are y°, (y +10)°, (y +20)°, (y +30)°
and (y +40)°.
a Work out the value of y.
b Work out the largest angle of the pentagon.
6 a A hexagon has 6 sides. Draw a hexagon.
b By joining vertices, split the hexagon into triangles.
c Show that the sum of the interior angles of a hexagon is 720°.
d How big is each angle of a regular hexagon?
108
5.2 Interior angles of polygons
7 a Calculate the missing angle of b Calculate the value of x.
this hexagon.
110° 150°
x°
132°
150°
108° x°
130°
136°
125°
8 Work out the sum of the interior angles of
Tip
a an octagon b a decagon.
Justify your answer in each case. An octagon has 8
sides. A decagon
9 a Copy and complete this table.
has 10 sides.
Polygon Number of sides Sum of interior angles
triangle 3
quadrilateral 4 360°
pentagon
hexagon
octagon
decagon 10
b Derive a formula for the sum of the interior angles of a
polygon with n sides.
c A nonagon is a polygon with 9 sides. Show that your formula
from part b gives the correct answer for the sum of the angles
of a nonagon.
10 a 7 of the interior angles of an octagon are 140° each.
Work out the eighth angle.
b Work out the interior angle of a regular octagon.
11 This is a regular decagon.
How big is each interior angle?
12 The second tessellation on the first page of this unit is made from
two different types of hexagon.
Work out the angles of each of the hexagons.
109
5 Angles
13 a Show that it is possible for 2 squares and 3 equilateral
triangles to meet at one point.
b Draw a different way for 2 squares and 3 equilateral triangles
with sides the same length to meet at one point.
c Can you work out a third way for 2 squares and 3 equilateral
triangles to meet at one point? Give a reason for your answer.
Think like a mathematician
14 A tessellation is an arrangement of shapes that completely
covers a space.
Squared paper is a tessellation of squares.
a Draw a tessellation of equilateral triangles.
b Draw a tessellation of regular hexagons.
c Explain why it is not possible to draw a tessellation of
regular pentagons. Tip
d Draw a tessellation of squares and equilateral triangles. For part d, look
Is there more than one way to do this? at your answer to
e Draw a tessellation using regular octagons and squares. Question 13.
f What other tessellations can you draw using regular
polygons?
Here is a different way to split a pentagon into
triangles, using a point inside the shape.
Can you use the diagram to work out the sum of the
angles of the pentagon?
Does it give the same answer as the previous method?
Summary checklist
I can use the formula (n − 2) × 180° to work out the sum of the interior angles of a
polygon with n sides.
I can calculate the interior angles of a regular polygon.
110
