Polygon

What is a Polygon?

A polygon is a flat shape made of straight lines that connect to form a closed shape. These lines are called the edges or sides of the polygon. The points where two edges meet are called vertices or corners. Polygons can have many sides and come in many different shapes.

Fun Shapes

One simple polygon is a triangle, which has three sides. Another common shape is a quadrilateral, like a square or a rectangle, that has four sides. Polygons can also have five sides, like a pentagon, or six sides, like a hexagon. Some polygons can even cross over themselves, making star shapes called star polygons.

Where Do We See Them?

Polygons are all around us! You can see them in nature, like the flat sides of crystals or the hexagons in a honeycomb made by bees. They are also used in computer graphics to help create pictures and make them look three-dimensional. Artists and architects use polygons in designs and buildings, too.

Naming Polygons

Polygons get their names based on how many sides they have. For example, a shape with five sides is called a pentagon, and one with twelve sides is called a dodecagon. For polygons with more than twelve sides, we usually just use numbers, like a 17-gon. Some special polygons have unique names, such as the pentagram, which is a star-shaped pentagon.