Learning shapes is very important for children, teaching them by showing real examples like triangular roofs, rectangular doors, etc. It not only helps children to identify and organize visual information but also helps them to learn skills in various curriculum areas science and math’s. It even enables the students to understand various symbols and signs. One such shape is a hexagon, and every shape has different angles and dimensional shapes that keep it unique from one another. Then, how many sides does a hexagon have, and the word itself has its meaning which is hexa- which means six. Read further to learn the various shapes of this geometrical figure hexagon.
What is a hexagon?
In Geometry, hexagons are two-dimensional polygons, and the best examples to depict the shape are honeycombs and pencils. A hexagon contains six sides and six interior angles. This shape is considered the strongest shape and is being used in design and construction. The reason behind this is that these particular shapes lined up against one another without wasting any space in between. For instance, to make a precious wax resource and to fit the requirements, honey bees build honeycombs with wax regular hexagon shapes. The hexagonal cells that are built are nearly the same size with the same accurate wall thickness throughout the hives.
Various types of hexagons
Apart from knowing how many sides does a hexagon have, it is crucial to know the types of hexagon. Normally, the shape of a hexagon is classified based on the sides. They are regular, irregular, concave, convex and complex.
- Regular hexagon: A regular hexagon is a two-dimensional geometric polygon that has six sides. Moreover, it does not have any curve sides, and every line is close as well. The plane figure is the best example of the regular hexagon shape can seen in which has six straight sides with an enclosed shape. It consists of six internal angles that measure about one twenty degrees each and all interior angles that sum up to seven hundred and twenty degrees.
- Irregular hexagon: An irregular hexagon consists of six angles and six sides, which are different in length and size. Additionally, the measurement of each interior angle is not equal.
- Concave hexagon: A concave hexagon has at least one interior angle greater than one eighty degrees. A concave hexagon has a single line of symmetry across its middle. To study where the line of symmetry is on a concave hexagon, fold the figure in half horizontally to ensure that each one of the corners is absolutely match.
- Convex hexagon: A convex hexagon on the other side has an interior angle that is less than eighty degrees. It has no angles that point inwards similar to that of a regular hexagon.
Hexagon shapes in everyday life
A hexagon is a shape that can noticed in everyday life. Here are some examples where you can learn how many sides does a hexagon have.
- Beehives: As said earlier, the beehive is one of the best examples of a hexagon-shaped honeycomb for efficient beehives. Since it is robust in shape and leaves no gaps as that of circles, it fits the needs of bees. Even though the triangle has the exact quality, it needs more client space to store wax or baby bees.
- Pencils: Another example of a hexagon figure is a pencil, and this shape is quite easy to grip and saves space.
- Nuts: Nuts are shape like a hexagon that has a circular hole in the middle. The reason to make nuts in this shape is to make it easier to turn with the number or tools. Imagine if the nuts are in a circle shape, then it won’t be easy to grip them.
The reason why a hexagon is a stronger shape
The hexagon is known as the most powerful shapes due to its structural soundness. With the help of a hexagonal structure, the backpack can spread evenly across all sides. It mainly helps in preventing deformation or collapse. Various examples seen earlier, like beehives, pencils, nuts, etc., are all in the shape of hexagons as it is an efficient shape for architectural designs and industrial storage containers. Moreover, the hexagons can cover a large area with the least amount of material. That is the reason why it is a particular choice in various design applications and engineering.
Hexagon line of symmetry
A regular hexagon has six lines of symmetry, which means three along the lines that join the midpoints of its opposite sides and the remaining three more along the diagonals. To find the hexagon’s line of symmetry, fold it and see whether the folded parts sit identically on top of each other and whether all the edges match. If so, then the folded line is the line of symmetry.
Conclusion:
It might be clear how many sides does a hexagon have and how strong the shape hexagon is. All the hexagons have the same six sides, such as irregular hexogen, regular, concave, or convex hexagons. Since the hexagon has six vertices, it has six angles. Each interior angle of a regular hexagon is one twenty degrees, and in total, it is seven hundred twenty degrees. The idea of the hexagon is not particularly the strongest because the strength of a shape depends on the distinct application and forces acting upon it.
