Name:_____________________________________________ Interior & Exterior Angles

Thompson- ________
Geometry, Spring Semester
Date: ____________________

Geometry Chapter 8, Section 1… Outline & Notes

All About Polygons!
Finding Area…
Skills you definitely need:

1. 180° total for the 3 angles in a triangle

2. Pythagorean Theorem
3. SOHCAHTOA ratios
4. Special case triangles

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 Chapter 8, Section 1…In this section we will learn that polygons have a definite
relationship between the angles inside, the angles on the outside, and the number of sides
of the polygon. Then we learn to find the area of regular polygons…check it out!

Interior and Exterior Angles of a Polygon…The properties of interior and exterior angles in polygons
(which includes regular and non-regular polygons), where n represents the number of sides in the polygon
(n-gon), can be summarized as follows:
 The sum of the measures of the interior angles of an n-gon is 180(n − 2).
The Area Theofsum
a Regular Polygon…If
of the exterior anglesa of
polygon is regular
an n-gon with n sides,
is always 360°. it can be subdivided into n congruent
isosceles triangles. Then you can multiply the area of one isosceles triangle
 The measure of any interior angle plus its corresponding exterior angle by nisto180º. 
get the total polygon area.
For example, to find the area of a regular decagon with side length 4 units. The central angle
In addition, for regular polygons:
is   = 36°.  Then the top angle of the shaded right triangle below would be Given a decagon…
36° ÷ 2 = 18° .
The measure of each angle in a regular n-gon is  .
 Use right triangle trigonometry to find the measurements of the right triangle, then
 The measure of each exterior angle in a regular n-gon is  .
calculate its area.  For the shaded triangle above, tan 18° =   and h ≈ 12.311.
 Use the height and the base to find the area of the isosceles triangle: 
(1/2) (8)(12.311) ≈ 49.242 sq. units.  Then the area of the regular decagon is
approximately 10 · 49.242 ≈ 492.42 sq. units.
 Use a similar approach if you are given a different length of the triangle.
 
Draw this triangle separately and find its area…
Then multiply by the number of triangles contained in the polygon to get the total area.

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 Chapter 8, Section 1 Concepts Outline and Important Vocabulary

Ch 8.1.1- What is a polygon? Describe and draw examples…

*Concave polygon-

*Convex polygon-

*Regular polygon-

Ch 8.1.2- Sum of the interior angles in a polygon; describe and draw examples…

*What is an interior angle?

*How do you find an interior angle in a polygon?

Ch 8.1.3- Exterior angles; describe and draw examples…

* What is the relationship between interior and exterior angles?

*How can exterior angles be used to find the number of sides a polygon will have?

Ch 8.1.4- This section contains word problems that require you to

understand the relationship between a polygon’s interior angle,
exterior angle, and the number of sides the polygon will have.

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 Ch 8.1.5- Finding area of regular polygons…
*Central angle-

*Apothem-

*Polygon radius-

*Show an example of finding a polygon’s area when two lengths are given.

*Show an example of finding a polygon’s area when only one length is given.

Important review from Chapter 7, Quadrilaterals….

Special Quadrilateral Properties…In Chapter 7, you examined several special quadrilaterals and proved conjectures
regarding many of their special properties.  Review what you learned below…
*Parallelogram: Opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent and parallel.  Opposite angles
are congruent.  Also, since the diagonals create two pair of congruent triangles, the diagonals
bisect each other.

*Rhombus: Since a rhombus is a parallelogram, it has all of the properties of a parallelogram. 

In addition, its diagonals are perpendicular bisectors that bisect the angles of the rhombus.
The diagonals also create four congruent triangles.

*Rectangle: Since a rectangle is a parallelogram, it has all of the properties of a

parallelogram.  In addition, its diagonals must be congruent.

*Isosceles Trapezoid: The base angles (angles joined by a base) of an isosceles trapezoid

are congruent. 

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 Chapter 8.1.1: What is a Polygon? How is a regular polygon different from other
polygons? How do the names for polygons describe the number of sides?
Please read and review the notes on this page. Then use to worksheet on the next page to review…

A. Convex and Non-Convex Polygons Defined…

A polygon is defined as a two-dimensional closed figure made up of straight line segments connected
end-to-end.  These segments may not cross (intersect) at any other points. 

A polygon is referred to as a regular polygon if it is equilateral (all sides have the same length)
and equiangular (all interior angles have equal measure).  For example, the hexagon shown
at right is a regular hexagon because all sides have the same length and each interior angle
has the same measure.

A polygon is called convex if each pair of interior points can be connected by a segment

without leaving the interior of the polygon. 

Non-convex polygons are also

known as “concave”. Think of the
sides as being “caved in.”

B. The name of a polygon is related to the number of sides…

Practice…Write the name of each polygon. Include the word “regular” in the name if applicable.

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6
 Critical thinking about polygons…

23) Which shapes are polygons? Which are not? Explain…

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 Geometry Lesson 8.1.2: What is its measure? Interior Angles of a Polygon

In an earlier chapter you discovered that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is always 180°.  What
about other polygons, such as hexagons or decagons?  What about the sum of their interior angles?

8-13) Use the diagram of the regular pentagon below.  Find the sum of the measures of its interior angles as
many ways as you can.  You may want to use the fact that the sum of the angles of a triangle is 180°.  

8-14) SUM OF THE INTERIOR ANGLES OF A POLYGON…In problem 8-13, you found the sum of the
angles of a regular pentagon.  But what about other polygons?

Find the sum of the interior angles of these polygons and complete the chart. What pattern do you notice?

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 b. Does the interior angle sum depend on whether the polygon is convex (convex means no sides point
inwards)?  For a non-convex polygon like the one below, determine if it matters whether the polygon is
convex.  Explain your findings. 

c. Find the sum of the interior angles of a 100-gon.  Explain your reasoning. 

d. LEARNING LOG…write an expression that represents the sum of the interior angles of an n-gon.  Title
this entry “Sum of Interior Angles of a Polygon” and include today’s date.

8-16) Use the angle relationships below to solve for the given variables.  Show all work.

a. b.

c. d.

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 Lesson 8.1.3: What if it is a regular polygon? Interior and Exterior Angles of Regular Polygons

In Lesson 8.1.2 you discovered how to determine the sum of the interior angles of a polygon with any
number of sides.  Today you will focus on the interior and exterior angles of regular polygons. 

Review: use the formula sum of interior angles = ____________________ to find the following angles.

1. Find the measure of an interior angle: 2. Find a and b.

Interior angle

Exterior angle

3. For each interior angle given below, how many sides will the polygon have? Use any method you can, but
by the end of this lesson we will learn “shortcut” methods that relate an interior angle to an exterior angle
and to the number of sides a polygon will have.
a. 144° b. 156° c. 160°

8-24) Diamonds, a very valuable naturally-occurring gem, have been popular for centuries
because of their beauty, durability, and ability to reflect a spectrum of light.  In 1919, a
diamond cutter from Belgium, Marcel Tolkowsky, used his knowledge of geometry to design
a new shape for a diamond, called the “round brilliant cut” (top view shown below).  He
discovered that when diamonds are carefully cut with flat surfaces (called facets or faces) in
this design, the angles maximize the brilliance and reflective quality of the gem.
 

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 Notice that at the center of this design is a regular octagon with equal sides and equal interior angles.  For a
diamond cut in this design to achieve its maximum value, the octagon must be cut carefully and accurately. 
One miscalculation, and the value of the diamond can be cut in half!

a. Determine the measure of each interior angle of a regular octagon.  Explain how you found your answer.  

b. What about the interior angles of other regular polygons?  Find the interior angles of a regular nonagon and
a regular 100-gon. 

                                                                   

8-24)
c. Will the process you used for part (a) work for any regular polygon?  Write an expression that will calculate
the interior angle of an n-gon. 

8-25) Fern states, “If a triangle is equilateral, then all angles have equal measure and it must be a regular
polygon.”  Does this reasoning work for polygons with more than three sides?  Investigate this idea below.
If all of the sides of a polygon, such as a quadrilateral, are equal, does that mean that the angles must be
equal?  If you can, draw a counterexample. 

b. What if all of the angles are equal?  Does that force a polygon to be equilateral?  Explain your thinking. 
Draw a counterexample on your paper, if possible. 

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 8-26) Jeremy asks, “What about exterior angles?  What can we learn about them?”
Examine the regular hexagon shown below.  Angle a is an example of an exterior angle because it is formed
on the outside of the hexagon by extending one of its sides.  Are all of the exterior angles of a regular polygon
equal?  Explain how you know. 

8-26) Find a.  Be prepared to share how you found your answer.  

c. This regular hexagon has six exterior angles, as shown in the diagram above.  What is the sum of the
exterior angles of a regular hexagon? 

d. What can you determine about the exterior angles of other regular polygons?  Explore this with your team. 
Have each team member choose a different shape from the list below to analyze.  For each shape:
 Find the measure of one exterior angle of that shape, and
 Find the sum of the exterior angles.

1. equilateral triangle
2. regular octagon
3. regular decagon
4. regular dodecagon
5. regular pentagon

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 e. Compare your results from part (d).  As a team, write a conjecture about the sum of the exterior angles of
polygons based on your observations.  Be ready to share your conjecture with the rest of the class. 

F (edited). Is your conjecture from part (e) true for all polygons or for only regular polygons?  Does it matter
if the polygon is convex? Explore….

8-27) Use your understanding of polygons to answer these questions.  If there is no solution, explain why…

a. Gerardo drew a regular polygon that had exterior angles measuring 40°.  How many sides did his polygon
have?  What is the name for this polygon? 

b. A polygon has an interior angle sum of 2520°.  How many sides does it have? 

c. A quadrilateral has four sides.  What is the measure of each of its interior angles? 

d. What is the measure of an interior angle of a regular 360-gon?  Is there more than one way to find this
answer? 

8-28) LEARNING LOG…How can you find the interior angle of a regular polygon?  What is the sum of the
exterior angles of a polygon?  Write a Learning Log entry about what you learned.  Title this entry “Interior
Angles and Sum of Exterior Angles of a Polygon”.

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 Lesson 8.1.4: Regular Polygon Angle Connections

During Lessons 8.1.1 through 8.1.3, you have discovered several ways
the number of sides of a regular polygon is related to the measures of
the interior and exterior angles of the polygon.  These relationships
can be represented in the diagram.

What is the most efficient way to go from one measurement

to another?  This lesson will explore these questions so that you will
have a complete set of tools to analyze the angles of a regular polygon.

8-36) Which connections in the Regular Polygon Angle Web do you already have?  Which do you still need? 
Explore this as you answer the questions below.
a. If you know the number of sides of a regular polygon, how can you find the measure of an interior
angle directly?  Find the measurements of an interior angle of a 15-gon. 

b. If you know the number of sides of a regular polygon, how can you find the measure of an exterior angle
directly? Find the measurements of an exterior angle of a 10-gon.

c. What if you know that the measure of an interior angle of a regular polygon is 162°?  How many sides must
the polygon have?  Show all work. 

d. If the measure of an exterior angle of a regular polygon is 15°, how many sides does it have?  What is the
measure of an interior angle?  Show how you know. 

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 8-37) Suppose a regular polygon has an interior angle measuring 120°.  Find the number of sides
using two different strategies.  Show all work.  Which strategy was most efficient?

8-38) Use your knowledge of polygons to answer the questions below, if possible.
a. How many sides does a polygon have if the sum of the measures of the interior angles is 1980°?  900°?

b. If the exterior angle of a regular polygon is 90°, how many sides does it have?  What is another name for
this shape? 

c. Each interior angle of a regular pentagon has measure 2x + 4°.  What is x?  Explain how you found your
answer.  

d. The measures of four of the exterior angles of a pentagon are 57°, 74°, 56°, and 66°.  What is the measure
of the remaining angle? 

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 e. Find the sum of the interior angles of an 11-gon.  Does it matter if it is regular or not? 

Ch 8.1.4 Review Questions & Independent Practice…

1. The measure of each interior angle of a regular polygon is given below. How many sides does each
polygon have?
A. 140 B. 165

2. Complete the Chart for regular polygons:

Name (regular Triangle Quadrilateral Pentagon Hexagon Heptagon Octagon n-gon
polygons)
# of Sides
Sum of interior
angles
Interior Angle
(just one angle)
Exterior angle
(just one angle)

3. Polygon Exterior Angle Theorem

Formula for sum of exterior angles (applies to all polygons)

Formula for each exterior angle (applies only to regular polygons)

4. Find the value of x in each diagram.

A. B.

5. Given the measure of each exterior angle of a regular n-gon, find the value of n.

A. 40 B. 30

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 Geometry Ch 8.1.5… Find the Area of Regular Polygons
All you need to know to find the area of a REGULAR polygon is the area for the right triangles hiding inside
of the polygon.
Step 1: Draw an isosceles triangle inside of your polygon. Bisect this triangle by drawing a triangle height
that goes from the polygon center to a side. This interior triangle height has a special name, called an
apothem. Remember, the height of this triangle apothem is perpendicular to a side.
Step 2: You now have two right triangles. Find the area for one of these triangles. Then, multiply by the
number of triangles formed inside of the given regular polygon to get the total area.

Steps #1 and #2 work when you know the polygon’s side length and apothem. But when there is less information
given, you will need to use Pythagorean theorem or SOHCAHTOA as outlined below and in the next few pages.

Step 3 (if required): Use the number of sides to find a central angle or an interior angle.
Step 4: Use a given length and the angles you found in Step 1 to find the area of one triangle. Remember the
area of a triangle is bh/2. You may need Pythagorean Theorem or trigonometry to find the apothem height
and the base of your triangle.
Step 5: Multiply the area of this one triangle by the number of triangles in the polygon to get the total area.

Ch 8.1.5 Practice…find the area of each polygon. Round your final answer to the nearest tenth.

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 Getting Ready for Ch 8.1.5…Special Right Triangle Review
45 - 45 - 90 Triangle Theorem comes from the Pythagorean theorem….
1. For the right isosceles triangle shown (a ½ square), find the length of the hypotenuse if x = 1. c
Use Pythagorean theorem. Leave your answer in simplified radical form.

2. Find the length of the hypotenuse if x = 4 using Pythagorean theorem. Leave your answer in simplified radical
form. What appears to be the relationship between the two legs and the hypotenuse?

*45-45-90 Rules:
When you are given the length of a LEG ____________________ by 2 to get the length of the HYPOTENUSE.

When you are given the length of the HYPOTENUSE ____________________ by 2 to get the length of the LEG.

1. Fill in the table with the missing side lengths of the 45-45-90 triangle. Leave all answers in simplified radical form.

Leg (x) Leg (x) Hypotenuse ( x √ 2 )

5

3 √2
x

6 √2
x

10

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 Special Right Triangles Practice…. Find the missing side lengths.

2. 3. 4. 45° 5. 4
6 4
4 5
5 4°
4° 45°

*30 - 60 - 90 Rules (the ½ equilateral triangle): If an equilateral triangle is cut in half
as as shown, what special type of triangle is formed?

What will be the lengths of sides a and b? Use Pythagorean theorem to verify the length of b.

If the original equilateral triangle is increased in If the original equilateral triangle is increased in
size by scale factor of 3, what will be the new side size by scale factor of x, what will be the new side
lengths? Draw a sketch to show your answer. lengths? Draw a sketch to show your answer.

1: Fill in the table with the missing side lengths of the 30-60-90 triangle. Leave all answers in simplified radical form.

Short Leg (x)

Long Leg ( x√3 )
Hypotenuse (2x)

6
2x
20
60°

x
4 √3
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 2: Find all the missing side lengths.

1. 2. 30°
60° 10

30°
4 √3 60°

Ch 8.1.5 Part 1…Area of Regular Polygons That Use Special Case Triangles
VOCAB for finding the area of regular polygons
Central Angle

Apothem

Radius

Perimeter

Area of Regular Polygon

EX 1: Label the following information on the diagram for each polygon.

A.
a  6 s  12 3 r  12 B.
a 4 s 8 r 4 2 C.
a 4 3 s  8 r 8

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 EX 2: Find the following information.
A. B. C.

8 2 6
20

16 6
20 3
Central Angle: ____________ Central Angle: ____________ Central Angle: ____________

Apothem: ________________ Apothem: ________________ Apothem: ________________

EX 3: Finding the area of a regular polygon using Special Case triangles.

Square
A. Number of Sides: B. Number of Sides:
__________ __________

Central Angle: Central Angle:

5 2 ____________________ ____________________
8
20
Side Length (radical Side Length:
form): ______________ __________________

Radius: Radius (radical form):

__________________
__________________
Apothem (radical form):
Apothem:
________________ ________________

Perimeter (radical form): Perimeter:

____________________
_______________
Area:
Perimeter (decimal to the ____________________
nearest tenth):

_____________________

Area:
____________________

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 Number of Sides: Number of Sides:
Equilateral Triangle:

C. Central Angle: D.
Central Angle:

Side Length (radical form): Side Length (radical form):

Radius: Radius:

Apothem: Apothem:

Perimeter (radical form and Perimeter (radical form and

decimal): decimal):

Area (radical form and Area (radical form and

decimal): decimal):

Hexagon:
E. Number of Sides: F. Number of Sides:
Central Angle: Central Angle:
10
9 3 Side Length: Side Length:

Radius: Radius:

Apothem(radical form): Apothem (radical form):

Perimeter: Perimeter:

Area (radical form and Area (radical form and

decimal): decimal):

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 Review for Ch 8.1.5: Which Trig Tool Should I use? When to use sine, cosine, or tangent…

…a memorization tool!

Practice Trig ratios…Use SOHCAHTOA (also known as the trig ratios) to solve for each variable. Give
your answer as an exact value, then as a decimal rounded to the nearest hundredth (two decimal places).

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 Find the area of the following regular polygons. You will need your trig ratios. Give your final answer to the nearest
tenth. SHOW ALL WORK!!

a) Number of Sides:

Central Angle:

Side Length:

Radius:

Apothem:

Perimeter:

Area:

b)

Number of Sides:

Central Angle:

Side Length:

Radius:

Apothem:

Perimeter:

Area:

c)
Number of Sides:

Central Angle:

Side Length:

Radius:

Apothem:

Perimeter:

Area:
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 Ch 8.1.5 WS and Review for Quiz… Area of Regular Polygons

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