Regular Polygons Area
A tutorial to explore the formulas and other properties of regular polygons, inscribed and circumscribed circles. An html 5 applet may also used for an interactive tutorial. There is also a calculator for regular polygons.
Formulas For Areas of Regular Polygons
Regular polygons have all sides equal and all angles equal. Below is an example of a 5 sided regular polygon also called a pentagon.
where x is the side of the pentagon, r is the radius of the inscribed circle and R is the radius of the circumscribed circle.
Let us develop formulas to find the area of an n sided regular polygons as a function of x, r and R. We shall follow the following route: Find the area of one triangle, such as triangle BOC, and multiply it by n ,the number of sides of the polygon, to find the total area of the polygon.
Relationship between x, r and R.
Let t be angle BOC.
t = 360o / n
From trigonometry of right triangles, we have
tan(t / 2) = (x / 2) / r and sin (t / 2) = (x / 2) / R
which gives r and R in term of x as follows
r = (x / 2) cot (180o / n)
and
R = (x / 2) csc (180o / n)
Formula 1
The area of triangle BOC = (1/2) x r
Area of polygon = n * area of triangle BOC
= (1/2) n x r
Formula 2
Another possible formula for the area of triangle BOC in terms of R is
Area of triangle BOC = (1/2) sin ( t ) R 2
= (1/2) R 2 sin (360o / n)
Area of polygon = n * area of triangle BOC
= (1/2) n R 2 sin (360o / n)
Formula 3
Another formula may be obtained if r found above is substituted in formula 1.
Area of polygon = (1/2) n x r
= (1/2) n x [ (x / 2) cot (180o / n) ]
= (1 / 4) n x2 cot (180o / n)
Formula 4
Another formula may be obtained if x in r = (x / 2) cot (180o / n) is substituted in formula 1.
Area of polygon = (1/2) n x r
= (1/2) n [ 2 r tan (180o / n) ] r
= n r2 tan (180o / n)
names of polygons according to the number of sides
| number of sides | | name |
| 3 | | equilateral triangle |
| 4 | | square |
| 5 | | pentagon |
| 6 | | hexagon |
| 7 | | heptagon |
| 8 | | octagon |
| 9 | | nonagon |
| 10 | | decagon |
| 11 | | undecagon |
| 12 | | dodecagon |
Interactive Tutorial
1 - Press the button "draw" to start.
2 - In this applet, the radius of the circumscribed circle is constant. The number n of the sides of the regular polygon may be changed using the slider or by typing a positive integer greater than 3.
4 - When n increases, what happens to the three areas: that of the circumscribed circle, the polygon and the inscribed circle? See problem 4 in polygons problems.
More References and Links Geometry
Geometry Tutorials, Problems and Interactive Applets.