MEP Y8 Practice Book B

15 Polygons
15.1 Angle Facts
In this section we revise some basic work with angles, and begin by using the three
rules listed below:

The angles at a point add up to 360 ° , e.g. b

a
c

a + b + c = 360 °

The angles on a straight line add up to 180 ° , e.g.

e f

e + f = 180 °

The angles in a triangle add up to 180 ° , e.g. x

w y

w + x + y = 180 °

Example 1
Determine the size of angle a in the diagram shown. 81˚ 92˚
a 100˚
Solution
81 ° + 92 ° + 100 ° + a = 360 ° (angle sum at a point)
a + 273 ° = 360 °
a = 87 °

Example 2
Determine the size of angle d in the diagram shown.
105˚
Solution
d 42˚
105 ° + 42 ° + d = 180 ° (angle sum in a triangle)
147 ° + d = 180 °
d = 33 °
52
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

Example 3
Determine the size of angle n in the diagram shown. 27˚
n
Solution
n + 27 ° = 180 ° (angle sum on a line)
n = 153 °

Exercises
1. Calculate the sizes of the angles marked by letters in the following diagrams:
(a) (b)

71˚
123˚ 110˚ b 89˚
a
37˚

(c) (d)

93˚ 33˚
19˚ 113˚
c
107˚ 77˚ 87˚
d

2. Calculate the sizes of the unknown angles in the following triangles:

(a) (b)
33˚ 51˚

111˚ 68˚

(c) (d)
92˚

39˚
43˚

53
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.1

3. Calculate the sizes of the angles marked by the letter x in the following
diagrams:
(a) (b)

32˚
49˚ x
x 81˚

(c) (d)
17˚
43˚
19˚
x
72˚ x 94˚

31˚

40˚
4. The diagram shows an isosceles triangle.
What are the sizes of the two angles marked a and b ?

a b

b
5. Calculate the sizes of the angles
marked a and b in the diagram.

143˚ a 73˚

6. The diagram opposite shows two intersecting

straight lines. Calculate the sizes of the a 47˚
angles marked a, b and c in the diagram. b c
What do you notice about
angles a and c ?

c
7. The diagram opposite shows a rectangle
and its diagonals. Calculate the sizes of b
a
the angles marked a, b and c.
37˚ 37˚

54
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

8. Determine the sizes of the angles

72˚
marked a, b and c in the diagram
shown. a
b

19˚
23˚ c

c
9. PQR is a straight line. Determine the
39˚
sizes of the angles marked a, b and c
in the triangles shown. 91˚
61˚ a b 85˚
P Q R

b
10. Calculate the sizes of the angles marked 37˚
a, b, c, d and e in the triangles shown.
c a
d 123˚

13˚ e

55
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

15.2 Angle Properties of Polygons

In this section we calculate the size of the interior and exterior angles for different
regular polygons.
The following diagram shows a regular hexagon:

The angles marked are the

interior angles of
the hexagon.

The angles marked are

the exterior angles of the
hexagon.

In a regular polygon the sides are all the same length and the interior angles are
all the same size.

Note that, for any polygon:

interior angle + exterior angle = 180 ° .

Since the interior angles of a regular polygon are all the same size, it follows that
the exterior angles are also equal to one another.
One complete turn of the hexagon above will rotate any one exterior angle to each
of the others in turn, which illustrates the following result:

The exterior angles of any polygon add up to 360 ° .

Example 1
Calculate the sizes of the interior and the exterior angles of a regular hexagon.
Hence determine the sum of the interior angles.

Solution
The exterior angles of a regular hexagon are all equal, as shown in the previous
diagram.

56
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

360 °
Therefore the exterior angle of a regular hexagon =
6
= 60 °

So the interior angle of a regular hexagon = 180 ° − 60 °

= 120 °

The sum of the interior angles = 6 × 120 °

= 720 °

Example 2
The exterior angle of a regular polygon is 40 ° .
Calculate:
(a) the size of the interior angle,
(b) the number of sides of the polygon.

Solution
(a) Interior angle + exterior angle = 180 °
Interior angle = 180 ° − 40 °
= 140 °

(b) The number of sides can be determined by dividing 360 ° by the size of
the exterior angles, giving
360
= 9
40
so the polygon has 9 sides.

In a regular polygon:

360 °
exterior angle =
the number of sides

360 °
number of sides =
exterior angle

57
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.2

Exercises
1. Calculate the size of the exterior angles of a regular polygon which has
interior angles of:
(a) 150 °
(b) 175 °
(c) 162 °
(d) 174 °

2. Calculate the sizes of the exterior and interior angles of:

(a) a regular octagon,
(b) a regular decagon.

3. (a) Calculate the size of the interior angles of a regular 12-sided polygon.
(b) What is the sum of the interior angles of a regular 12-sided polygon?

4. (a) What is the size of the interior angle of a regular 20-sided polygon?
(b) What is the sum of the interior angles of a regular 20-sided polygon?

5. Calculate the size of the exterior angle of a regular pentagon.

6. The size of the exterior angle of a regular polygon is 12 ° . How many sides
does this polygon have?

7. Calculate the number of sides of a regular polygon with interior angles of:
(a) (i) 150 ° (ii) 175 °
(iii) 162 ° (iv) 174 °

(b) Show why it is impossible for a regular polygon to have an interior

angle of 123 ° .

8. (a) Complete the following table for regular polygons. Note that many of
the missing values can be found in the examples and earlier exercises
for this unit.

58
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

Number Exterior Interior Sum of Interior

of Sides Angles Angles Angles

4 90 °

10

12

(b) Describe an alternative way to calculate the sum of the interior angles
of a regular polygon.
(c) Draw and measure the angles in some irregular polygons. Which of
the results in the table are also true for irregular polygons?

9. The exterior angle of a regular polygon is 4 ° .

(a) How many sides does the polygon have?
(b) What is the sum of the interior angles of the polygon?

10. A regular polygon has n sides.

360 °
(a) Explain why the exterior angles of the polygon are of size .
n
360 °
(b) Explain why the interior angles of the polygon are 180 ° − .
n
(c) Write an expression for the sum of the interior angles.

59
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

15.3 Symmetry
In this section we revise the symmetry of objects and examine the symmetry of
regular polygons.

Example 1
Draw the lines of symmetry of each shape below:
(a) (b)

Solution
(a) The shape has 2 lines of (b) The shape has 2 diagonal lines
symmetry, one horizontal of symmetry, as shown below:
and the other vertical, as
shown below:

Reminder
The order of rotational symmetry is the number of times in one rotation of 360 °
that a shape is identical to that of its starting position.

Example 2
What is the order of rotational symmetry of each of the following shapes:
(a) (b) (c)

60
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

Solution
(a) The shape has rotational symmetry of order 1, meaning that it does not have
rotational symmetry. (The shape cannot be rotated to another position within
360 ° and still look the same.)
(b) The shape has rotational symmetry of order 4.
The following diagram shows how the position of one corner, marked *,
moves as the square is rotated anticlockwise about its centre.

* *

* *

(c) The shape has rotational symmetry

of order 2. The diagram shows the *
position of a corner, marked *, as
the shape is rotated about its centre.
*

Example 3
A heptagon is a shape which has 7 sides.
(a) Draw a diagram to show the lines of symmetry of a regular heptagon.
(b) What is the order of rotational symmetry of a regular heptagon?

Solution
(a) A regular heptagon has 7 lines of symmetry, as shown in the following
diagram:
1
2

61
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.3

(b) A regular heptagon has rotational symmetry of order 7.

The order of rotational symmetry and the number of lines of symmetry

of any regular polygon is equal to the number of sides.

Exercises
1. Copy each of the following shapes and draw in all the lines of symmetry.
For each one, state the order of rotational symmetry and mark on your copy
its centre of rotation.
(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

62
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

2. State the order of rotational symmetry and the number of lines of symmetry,
for each of the following shapes:
(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

3. Describe fully the symmetries of the following shapes:

(a) (b)

4. Describe the symmetry properties of each of the following triangles:

Equilateral Isosceles Scalene

63
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.3

5. (a) How many lines of symmetry does a square have?

Draw a diagram to show this information.
(b) What is the order of rotational symmetry of a square?

6. (a) Copy and complete the following table:

Shape Order of Rotational Number of Lines

Symmetry of Symmetry

Equilateral triangle

Square

Regular pentagon

Regular hexagon

Regular heptagon (7 sides)

Regular octagon

Regular nonagon (9 sides)

Regular decagon (10 sides)

Regular dodecagon (12 sides)

(b) What do you conclude from the information in the table?

7. Draw a shape that has no lines of symmetry, but has rotational symmetry of
order 3.

8. Draw a shape that has at least one line of symmetry and no rotational
symmetry.

9. Draw two regular polygons, one with an even number of sides and one with
an odd number of sides. By drawing lines of symmetry on each diagram,
show how the positions of the lines of symmetry differ between odd- and
even-sided regular polygons.

10. Draw an irregular polygon that has both line and rotational symmetry.
Show the lines of symmetry and the centre of rotation, and state its order of
rotational symmetry.

64
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

15.4 Quadrilaterals
There are many special types of quadrilaterals; the following table lists some of
them and their properties.

Quadrilateral Properties

Rectangle 4 right angles and opposite

sides equal

Square 4 right angles and 4 equal sides

Parallelogram Two pairs of parallel sides and

opposite sides equal

Rhombus Parallelogram with 4 equal sides

Trapezium Two sides are parallel

Kite Two pairs of adjacent sides

of the same length

Example 1
List the quadrilaterals that have four sides all of the same length.

Solution
Square and rhombus.

Example 2
List the quadrilaterals that do not have two pairs of parallel sides.

Solution
Kite and trapezium.

Example 3
Which quadrilaterals have diagonals that are perpendicular to one another?

Solution
The square, rhombus and kite have diagonals that cross at right angles.

65
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.4

Exercises
1. Which quadrilaterals have diagonals that are the same length?

2. (a) Which quadrilaterals have exactly two lines of symmetry?

(b) Draw diagrams to show these lines of symmetry.

3. Which quadrilaterals have rotational symmetry of order 2 ?

4. (a) Which quadrilaterals can have exactly one line of symmetry?

(b) Draw diagrams to show them and the line of symmetry.

5. Name each of the following quadrilaterals:

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

66
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B

6. Which quadrilaterals have diagonals that are not equal in length?

7. A quadrilateral has four sides of the same length. Copy and complete the
following sentences:
(a) The quadrilateral must be a .................... .

(b) The quadrilateral could be a .................... if .................... .

8. (a) Which quadrilaterals have more than one line of symmetry?

(b) Draw diagrams to show them and their lines of symmetry.
(c) Which quadrilaterals have rotational symmetry of order greater than 1 ?
List these quadrilaterals and state the order of their rotational symmetry.

9. The following flow chart is used to identify quadrilaterals:

START

DOES
IT HAVE 4 NO
RIGHT
ANGLES
?

YES ARE
OPPOSITE NO
ANGLES
EQUAL
ARE ?
ALL THE
SIDES THE NO
SAME YES ARE
2 SIDES NO
LENGTH
PARALLEL
? ?
YES ARE
ALL THE ARE
SIDES THE NO YES
THE
SAME DIAGONALS NO
LENGTH PERPEND-
? ICULAR
YES ?

YES

A B C D E F G

Which type of quadrilateral arrives at each of the outputs, A to G ?

67
 MEP Y8 Practice Book B
15.4

10. The following flow chart can be used to classify quadrilaterals, but some
question boxes are empty. Copy and complete the flow chart.

START

NO

YES
NO

ARE
THE
DIAGONALS YES
THE SAME YES
LENGTH NO
?
NO

YES ARE
TWO SIDES NO
YES PARALLEL
?

YES
NO

KITE RHOMBUS SQUARE RECTANGLE PARALLELOGRAM TRAPEZIUM OTHER

68