The following polygons are given. All of the polygons are
regular polygons.
Polygon a. Convex 15-gon
Polygon b. Convex 16-gon
Polygon c. Convex 17-gon
Polygon d. Convex 18-gon
Polygon e. Convex 19-gon
Polygon f. Convex 43-gon
Polygon g. Convex 44-gon
Polygon h. Convex 45-gon
Polygon i. Convex 46-gon
Polygon j. Convex 47-gon
1. Which polygon(s) has (have) interior angles that are whole
numbers (a number that is not a fraction or a decimal)? Explain
why it is that way.
The sum of the interior angles of a polygon of n-sides is
Since the polygons are regular, all the interior angles are the same,
so each one is that expression divided by n
That must be equal to a whole number, say, W. Since n does not divide
evenly into n-2, it must divide evenly into 180°. So we go through
the list to see which numbers divide evenly into 180°:
Polygon a. Convex 15-gon, yes, since 15 divides evenly into 180°.
Polygon b. Convex 16-gon, no
Polygon c. Convex 17-gon, no
Polygon d. Convex 18-gon, yes, since 18 divides evenly into 180°.
Polygon e. Convex 19-gon, no
Polygon f. Convex 43-gon, no
Polygon g. Convex 44-gon, no
Polygon h. Convex 45-gon, yes, since 45 divides evenly into 180°.
Polygon i. Convex 46-gon, no
Polygon j. Convex 47-gon, no
2. What happens to the value of the interior angles as the
number of sides of the polygon increases? Explain your answer.
So the value of the interior angles approaches 180° as the number
of sides of the polygon increases.
3. What happens to the value of the exterior angles as the
number of sides of the polygon increases? Explain your answer.
The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is 360°. So
each one of a regular polygon is
So the value of the exterior angles approaches 0° as the number
of sides of the polygon increases.
4. Explain what happens to the total sum of interior angles
as the number of sides in the polygon changes?
5. Explain what happens to the total sum of exterior angles
as the number of sides in the polygon changes?
Edwin