[Home]Polygon

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Generally, the word polygon is used to refer to a two dimensional construction that encloses a space using straight lines. Regular polygons have sides that are of equal length and have equal angles between each side. [Concave polygon]?s have at least one internal angle that is greater than 180°, whereas convex polygons have all internal angles less than 180°. A cyclic polygon has all of its vertexes lying on the same circle. A polygon can belong to several classifications simultaneously; a square is a regular, convex, cyclic polygon, for example.

'Poly-' is from the Greek word for 'many' and '-gon' is a Greek combining form meaning 'angle'. Strictly speaking, every polyhedron is also a polygon as is every polytope, since they all have angles.

Regular Polygons

Name Sides Angle*
Triangle 3 60°
Square 4 90°
Pentagon 5 108°
Hexagon? 6 120°
Septagon 7 128.57°
Octagon 8 135°
Nonagon 9 140°
Decagon 10 144°
Hectagon 100 176.4°
Megagon 106 180.° (approx.)
Googolgon 10100 180.° (approx.)

 * Angle= 180°-(360°/ Sides )

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Last edited November 24, 2001 4:10 am by BenBaker (diff)
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