hexagon

Everyday

1. A hexagon is a flat shape with 6 straight sides and 6 corners. A hexagon has 6 sides. tree →
2. A regular hexagon has all 6 sides the same length and all 6 angles the same size (120 degrees each). tree →

In the lessons

In maths, a shape: 6 sides and 6 corners; perimeter is 6 × side for a regular hexagon; its angles add up to 720 degrees. In science and nature, bees build honeycomb cells as hexagons, and snowflakes have six-fold shapes. In everyday life you see hexagons in floor tiles, nuts and bolts, and pencils with six faces. Phrases: «a regular hexagon», «hexagon-shaped», «hexagonal».

Examples

• A hexagon has 6 sides. tree →
• Each side of the hexagon is 4 cm. tree →
• What is its perimeter? tree →
• How many sides do 3 hexagons have? tree →
• The cells of a honeycomb are hexagons. tree →
• The bathroom floor is covered with little white hexagons. tree →
• A nut has a hexagon shape so a spanner can grip it. tree →
• Draw a hexagon and join opposite corners to make 6 triangles. tree →
• A regular hexagon fits together with others without gaps. tree →

Note

Plural: hexagons; adjective: hexagonal. Hexagon means 6 (hex = six, gon = angle): sides × 6 for counting, or side length × 6 for the perimeter of a regular one. Trap: do not confuse with a pentagon (5), a heptagon (7) or an octagon (8). Only a regular hexagon has all sides equal; an irregular one still has 6 sides.